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Post by Miege22 on Oct 19, 2021 9:58:07 GMT -5
After a few years of power rankings, I'd like to bring back weekly game recaps. The power rankings committee discussed it, and we all pretty much decided that write-ups for each team in the power rankings deal kind of got stale after a few weeks. We'll continue to do rankings, but in lieu of write-ups there, I am going to do write-ups again for each game. We are also going to introduce something new: the game of the week. Since there are no games to recap yet, this first week will just be the game of the week. Without further ado... In a week filled with options, there may be no bigger match-up than OKC at Atlanta. Some might point to the heavyweight match-up that is Seattle/New York, but both of those teams figure to be in the hunt at the end, no matter this early result. The story is different for both the Thunder and Hawks. Both of these teams are talented enough to make a run, yet volatile enough to get lost amongst the pack. A win for either team to start the season would go a long way late, and it could announce to their respective conference that they mean business.
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Post by Miege22 on Oct 25, 2021 9:24:34 GMT -5
Every year it seems like an eternity goes by before week 1 actually tips off, then when it does, the first week feels like a dead sprint to the finish line. This year was no different with a number of match-ups going down to the final day. The West, largely thought to be far and away better than the East, held serve, winning 6 of 10 match-ups. However, the East scored a couple of big victories, including in our "Match-up of the Week," which is where we start... Atlanta Hawks (1-0) over OKC Thunder (0-1), 4-4-1Our marquee match-up lived up to it's billing, as the Atlanta Hawks used a late Jaren Jackson Jr. three to survive a furious OKC rally in the last game of the week. It was a workman-like performance for the Hawks, as no one in particular stood out, but they have to be thrilled about the early returns on their trade for Jimmy Butler (20-6-5 and 2 steals/per game) this summer. Steven Adams also looks like he could be in for a bounce-back year after struggling mightily last season. The big man averaged 13, 13, and 4.7, and if he is putting up those kinds of numbers this season, Atlanta suddenly becomes very dangerous. Oh, and shoutout to Spencer Dinwiddie for his 34-6-9 performance to close the week. On the other end, JJJ, D'Angelo Russell and Gordon Hayward were all merely ok. On the other side of the ledger, things aren't quite as rosy. Now, there's two ways to spin this. The first is positive, after all, OKC nearly won this match-up with Tatum, Luka and Russ shooting like total garbage. Anthony Edwards looked good. Both Vassell and Davion Mitchell had big games. There are good things here. The negative is that the West is a bloodbath, and teams need to bank as many wins as possible before conference play starts. Are you glass half-full or half-empty? That will determine how you view this for OKC. They get Washington and a chance to get back to .500 next week. Atlanta should cruise to 2-0 against Las Vegas. Brooklyn Nets (1-0) over Las Vegas Gamblers (0-1), 8-1Look, this is not one to write home about if you're the Nets... but if you went 1-13 last year and you have designs on making the playoffs, you kind of have to put away a team like Vegas early to prove a point. And the Nets did just that. This one was never really close after the first full slate on Wednesday. Ingram, NAW, Timelord, Mobley, CP3 and Hield all had solid to great games to kick off the week, and that was pretty much it. If there's a reason for the Nets to be excited, it's got to be Mobley's first week. The rookie big man averaged 16-8-3-1-2 in three games on the week and looked every bit the top-5 pick the Nets hoped he would be. He obviously won't keep it up, he's a rookie after all, but if he contributes in big man stats like this, the Nets could survive their thin frontcourt (that only got thinner after Thad Young played 8 minutes in 3 games... not great, Bob). Vegas? Well, Vegas is bad. There's no two ways about it. They're a legitimate threat to go winless this year. Sure, Klay, THT and Cade were all out, but they were so far away in this one, against a team that is a 4th or 5th seed at best. It's going to be a long year in the desert. They get Atlanta in week 2. Brooklyn plays Colorado. Golden State Warriors (1-0) over Chicago Bulls (0-1), 6-2-1After the year from hell, the Warriors matched up with the defending champions to start the season because of course they did. It's a new year, though, and both of these teams look dramatically different than they did last season. The Warriors managed to start the season with a much needed win in spite of some awful shooting from Devin Booker, Nikola Vucevic and Al Horford. All three were under 40% for the week, but Seth Curry was a flamethrower (20 ppg on the week on 69% FG shooting), knocking down 7 threes on the final day to solidify the win. It's got to be a great feeling for the Warriors, and they hope to keep the good times rolling when they host Orlando. For Chicago, it's no the end of the world. Unlike OKC above, the East is not nearly as deep, and Chicago is still firmly in the playoff picture. For now, at least. There are some issues that need to get resolved if Chicago wants to truly contend. First and foremost, Ben Simmons. But they've also got Dillon Brooks out with and injury, and Jaylen Brown dealing with a knee issue. Throw in Kristaps looking rough, and Murphy, Roby and Flynn not really getting minutes, and it's a little foggy in Chi-town. They're hoping to get right against a Utah team that may be more formidable than most thought. Phoenix Suns (1-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-1), 5-4 This match-up looked firmly decided by the weekend, and then Sunday rolled around and the Raptors went OFF. Jalen Green and Ja Morant exploded to help Toronto flip FG %, threes and assists, though they couldn't quite overcome the steals deficit, and Phoenix survived. The Suns have to be over the moon (heh, get it?) with the performance they got from Miles Bridges (25-8-2-3). He looked like a two-way monster AND he was raining threes. Malcolm Brogdon was also awesome, putting up 25-9-8, while Jokic was his usual self (29.5/14.5/4.5/2.5). Mitchell Robinson looks healthy as well. This is suddenly a very deep team and a real contender in the West. They head to Tampa for their first big test in a possible game of the week match-up. The Raptors, though they lost, can take solace in the fact that Ja Morant is officially a SUPERSTAR. Every year someone takes that leap, and it looks like he's the guy this year (35-4-8). Frankly, all the young guys looked good or had moments. Jalen popped. Precious is contributing. Duarte is legit. If you're looking for a dark horse East playoff team, this might be it. They get another big game against Portland in week 2. Colorado Swannies (1-0) over Orlando Magic (0-1), 8-1The Swannies are 1-0! It's been a long and winding path for the Swannies, and they are still searching for their first playoff berth since the inaugural season. Could this be the year? Well, if they keep getting 40-10 performances from Myles Turner, it just may be. Anthony Davis was great (26-11-2-3), though he weirdly missed a lot of free throws. LaMelo Ball looked good again (22-6-6-2) and may just be a star. They also got big weeks from CARMELOOOOO ANTH...ONYYYYY! and Kyle Kuzma. There are some noticeable dead spots on this roster (Kurucs, Green, Clark, Harris - injured), so it will be interesting to see if they make any moves. We mentioned Toronto as the dark horse playoff team in the East, and this looks like it could be the West dark horse with a few roster tweaks. Orlando... competed. They were already behind the 8-ball with so many young guys, and then Terry Rozier missed most of the week with an ankle injury. The good news is Mo Bamba, Jordan Poole and Franz Wagner look like contributors. There's actually a lot of interesting things happening in Orlando, though it won't lead to wins. That should hold true against GS. The Swannies, meanwhile, have a HUGE match-up against Brooklyn awaiting them. Kansas City Kings (1-0) over Miami Heat (0-1), 6-3The Heat might be feistier than expected, as they held up quite well against a Kings team that thinks of themselves as a title contender. More on the former in a minute because we will start with the winner of this match-up, and the Kings looked... good, mostly. Their high profile free agents (Kemba, Schroder) looked bad. The trade returns though? They were very good. Harrison Barnes (28-10-2-1), Jerami Grant (16.5/5.5/1.5/1.5/2.5), Christian Wood (22-11-2-1), and Ricky Rubio (17-4-9-1) really powered the Kings to victory. The latter had to be a great relief to the Kings because they invested significant draft capital in Wood and Rubio (Scottie Barnes, who looked good, but more on that later, and a future Utah pick). Rubio won't always put up the kinds of numbers he did at the end of the week, but he did put up 10 assists in the first game, and Darius Garland has an injury history. Oh, and CJ McCollum put up a quiet 31-4.5-3-2-2 on the week. If SGA and the free agents get it going, the Kings could have the deepest guard crew in the league. They get New York next. Now, Miami... holy crap what got into Tyler Herro? 28.5 and 8 through two games is not too shabby. Montrezl Harrell looks like he's in for a bounce back year, and Evan Fournier, at worst, should be able to net something decent at the deadline. This Heat team has just enough wild cards to be dangerous week in and week out. Now, the downside. We might need to talk about Killian Hayes. It was not an inspiring first week for the second year guard, and if he continues at this pace, he'll be out of the league once his first contract is up. We'll see what Miami can do against the Rockets in week 2. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-0) over Utah Jazz (0-1), 6-3If there's such a thing as a deflating win, this might be it. The Bull Sharks got really good weeks from Sabonis (26-12-4), KAT (27.5/7/2/1/2.5) and LaVine (27-6-5), yet they barely squeaked by a Utah team relying on Lauri Markkanen, Hassan Whiteside and Derrick Favors to carry their big man spots. 4 assists, 4 steals and 1 block was the difference in this one. It's hard to know what to make of this Tampa Bay team. Even with their lack of depth, they should still make the playoffs in the East on the strength of their stars. But if one of those guys goes down or doesn't play up to his capabilities (looking at you, De'Aaron Fox), they'll be going home early from the big dance. The Suns loom in week 2, but maybe the takeaway is the Jazz are actually better than initially thought? They don't have any stars, though maybe DeRozan fits that bill from a fantasy-perspective (21-6-4 this week), but they do have a team full of role players. They're certainly better than the Vegas' and Orlando's of the world, but do they have enough to be better than the Washington's and Miami's? Possibly. The playoffs feel like a long shot, but who knows, stranger things have happened. They play Chicago in week 2. Portland Trailblazers (1-0) over Washington Wizards (0-1), 8-1Now, if you want a statement win, look no further than Portland trouncing the Wizards. The Blazers are, arguably, the best team in the league, and the Wizards are, well, they're not great. What Portland did is exactly what they should have done. Kevin Durant was Kevin Durant (33-10-6). Paul George was pretty good (35-10.5-5-2). Trae Young was doing Trae Young things (21.5-10.5). The big story here, however, is what the Portland bigs did. Richaun Holmes, Jakob Poeltl, and Andre Drummond combined to shoot 70.6% from the floor, and they all averaged big numbers (Poeltl - 12-10-5-1-1; Holmes - 14-11-2-2-; Drummond - 13.5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks). If they're getting that kind of performance from the center spot this year, they're going to be tough to stop. Toronto is next up. The bigs were a big difference (no pun intended) in this game. Hayes, Gafford and Boucher largely disappointed for Washington. Mason Plumlee was solid. The big news for Washington is Desmond Bane looks like a player (19-5-3). He wasn't just spotting up either. Bane was all over the floor creating for himself and others, and he looked good doing it too. He'll try to keep it going against OKC. Houston Rockets (1-0) over Memphis Grizzlies (0-1), 7-2Speaking of teams taking care of their business, the Rockets wasted no time putting their game against Memphis to bed. Steph Curry opened the season with a triple-double and has only kept it going since (31-9-7). Julius Randle is proving he wasn't a one-year fluke (29-11-6), and he's put up defensive stats too (4 steals and 7 blocks in 3 games). Dame has struggled early, but the Rockets made the best trade of the off-season landing De'Anthony Melton AND cash to help with that one (18-5-3-1). Despite Randle's hot start, the Rockets are, once again, thin in the frontcourt. Last year it didn't really matter until the conference finals, and they ran into a Seattle team perfectly designed to exploit those weaknesses. We'll see if it matters this year, though it almost certainly won't against Miami in week 2. It certainly didn't matter against Memphis, and the Grizz are going to be asking themselves a lot of questions throughout this season. Namely, who do we keep and who do we move? Outside of Scottie Barnes, everyone looked bad. Of course, the argument could be made that only Scottie needs to look good for this season to be a success. Memphis is banking on picks and Kawhi to get them back into contention next year. This year is all about development. Seattle is next. New York Knicks (1-0) over Seattle Supersonics (0-1), 5-4Last but certainly not least, we close with maybe the match of the day, where the New York Knicks used 7 huge blocks to flip their match-up with the defending Western Conference champions in the win column. The Sonics are still playing with 12 players, and one of those 12 (Saben Lee), is barely playing. But it almost didn't matter because New York is dealing with their own issues. Fultz, Noel and Lowry are all out. Kanter isn' playing, and Larry Nance Jr. has pretty much been a zero thus far. Assuming Fultz, Noel and Lowry come back, New York should be just fine. Their stars showed some noticeable declines in that first week, so that is something to keep an eye on. At the end of the day, a win is a win, and this is easily the best win of the week for an Eastern Conference team. The Knicks get another tough one in KC this week. For Seattle, it just kind of is what it is. Harden only put up 18 ppg on the week, and Bradley Beal missed one of the two games he was supposed to play. Sometimes you have schedule losses, and this feels like a schedule loss. Now, if they lose to Memphis in week 2? Then you start to panic a bit. Until then, they'll be ok.
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Post by Miege22 on Oct 25, 2021 13:57:29 GMT -5
There were a lot of good match-ups to choose from (we see you, Brooklyn/Colorado and KC/NY), but ultimately, this felt like the most important of the week. After a less than inspiring win, the Bull Sharks look vulnerable. The big guns for Phoenix are all set to play 4 games this week (barring injury or unforeseen rest), and the same cannot be said for Tampa. If Phoenix wins this, we may look back on it as a schedule loss, but you don't get any points for schedule losses. A Suns win, and banking 6 non-conference wins is not out of the question for them. Tampa Bay is starting what looks like a damn gauntlet, with Golden State, Houston and OKC to follow this one. Of all the games, this is easily the one we're keeping an eye on throughout the week.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 1, 2021 9:13:19 GMT -5
The West cruised to an 8-2 week, and it looks like this is going to be a consistent theme this year. It would not be a surprise to see the West hit 9-1 this week. They're just that much better. Onto week 2... Phoenix Suns (2-0) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-1), 8-1The Suns throttled one of the two good East teams this week, taking down Tampa Bay rather easily. Miles Bridges continues to be a stud, putting up 24-7.5 on the week while knocking down 12 threes. He's the early MIP favorite by far. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic just keeps trucking along. The MVP averaged 21-15-6 and looks as good as ever. Oh, and a special shoutout to Jonas Valanciunas. 22-16-3 is a bonkers week, and if we had that award, he'd certainly be near the top of the list. There wasn't much drama in this one, and the Suns look to be a real threat out West. Tampa Bay will be fine, though De'Aaron Fox continues to shoot poorly (37%/63% this week, just 3 threes), and the bench has largely been lackluster. Given the state of the East, it might not matter much, but it doesn't inspire much confidence for the playoffs. The Bull Sharks head to Golden State while Phoenix welcomes Chicago. Kansas City Kings (2-0) over New York Knicks (1-1), 6-3In the other big East vs. West showdown, the Kings got the better of New York and stayed unbeaten. Heading into the weekend, it seemed like this one might come down to the wire, but the Kings did just enough to stave off any Knicks comeback attempt. The Kings were under the radar banged up in week 1, but they pulled through, and now guys seem to be getting healthy. Caris LeVert came back, though he didn't make it into the lineup. Bobby Portis and Josh Hart returned as well and had decent games. The big story for KC was probably Kemba (20/4/4/3) and Dennis (17/4/8/2) getting it together. If those guys keep it up, and Rubio continues to play well (though he still can't shoot), well, I'm pretty sure we said it in week 1, but this point guard crew could be wildly deep. As a weird quirk in the schedule, the Kings will now welcome the other NY team to KC and face the Nets. The Knicks, like the Bull Sharks, haven't really been all that impressive so far, but it seems unlikely to matter. While their guys aren't playing up to their usual standards, they're still more productive as a whole than most of the East. Of major concern right now is the health of Joel Embiid. It doesn't seem like that knee is going to be right all season, and if he misses extended time, the East is WIDE open. New York continues their Western Conference trip in Utah. Atlanta Hawks (2-0) over Las Vegas Gamblers (0-2), 8-1I'm not going to spend a ton of time on this one because the Gamblers are depressing, and they're basically a walking victory for the opponent. This one wasn't close, and it was never going to be close. The Hawks didn't even play all that well. Steven Adams crashed back to Earth. D'Angelo Russell still can't shoot, and Jaren Jackson hasn't done much. That didn't matter though because the primary creators were quite good. Gordon Hayward (19/6/3), Spencer Dinwiddie (17/6/4), and, especially, Jimmy Butler (28/8/5/3) were all very good. Jimmy really deserves a shout out because that man has been an absolute monster to start the season, and if he keeps it up, the Hawks may actually be the favorite in the East. They'll get their 2nd test in 3 weeks in Houston. Las Vegas is still bad, but Cade returned, and Nurkic averaged 12-12, so there's that. The Toilet Bowl may be happening early, as Vegas takes on Memphis (that's not really fair to Memphis. Their issues are mostly injury related.) Houston Rockets (2-0) over Miami Heat (0-2), 6-3The Heat continue to be feisty, and they made this one closer than it had any right to be. They made the Rockets fight all the way up to Sunday, and part of that is almost certainly because Dame Lillard continues to have the season from hell. 18/8 on 32%(!) shooting is not what we are used to seeing from Lillard, and we're now two weeks in. Still a lot of time, but concerning nonetheless. On the whole, Houston really didn't play all that well, and you have to think the score was this close moreso because Houston underperformed. I mean, Julius Randle was 13-11 on the week. That's not going to happen very often. As mentioned above, Houston gets a much tougher game against Atlanta next. As for Miami, Montrezl Harrell continues to beast (20/11/2/1). It's been a real bounce back season for him, and it will be interesting to see if they turn him into something down the road. They'll try and pull an upset this week against Seattle. Golden State Warriors (2-0) over Orlando Magic (0-2), 6-3The Dubs are back, baby! At least, that's the sentiment in the Bay area right now. And who can really blame them? Last year was a hellish nightmare where nothing seemed to go right. Someone new was dropping dead around Devin Booker every day. Last year, this match-up would have been one to sweat out. This year? Never in doubt. And that was with just two games from Booker. He was great, by the way (29/5/9). Big ups to Al Horford, turning back the clock to block SIX! shots in one game. The Warriors have to feel pretty good about where they stand as they get set to face the Bull Sharks. Orlando's section is going to get a bit repetitive around these parts. Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner continue to look good. Outside of that, just a lot of waiting until next year. The West Coast swing continues in Portland. Chicago Bulls (1-1) over Utah Jazz (0-2), 5-3-1One of only two real barnburners this week, the Bulls got back into the win column thanks to a huge Saturday night. While it had to be a nice reprieve for the Bulls, the week was pretty bleak on the whole. The Ben Simmons situation seems to be no closer to resolving itself. Patrick Williams was lost for the year. Jaylen Brown revealed he's still feeling the effects of COVID. Kristaps Porzingis has been bad, and is now banged up with a back injury. Dillon Brooks is still out. About the only bright spot right now is Cole Anthony (19-7-5). The second year guard has been wildly impressive, especially when you consider he's had to thwart off Jalen Suggs (not that Suggs is playing well, but the thought prior to the season was that it would be Suggs' team from day 1. Not so fast, said Cole). The Bulls get the white hot Suns (lol, get it? The sun is hot) next. Utah has been on this path for a while, and it seems things have finally caught up to them. They've been the professional, veteran, role player team for something like 5 years, and they never seem to bottom out. Well, this may be the bottom for them. Unfortunately, they don't have their pick. So it'll be a long year for the Jazz, then they won't have the shiny gift at the end of it, and they'll have to figure things out in the summer. Maybe they can upset the Knicks and get on the board next week. Portland Trailblazers (2-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-2), 7-2The Blazers continue to look scary, even if KD sometimes feels the need to throw a post route to someone in the upper deck. This was another one that just really wasn't close. Portland was just too deep and well-rounded for a Raptors team that didn't play terribly. Lots of guys to clap for in this one. Richaun Holmes (18-10), RJ Barrett (22/6/3), Draymond (9/11/8/2/2), Paul George (23/6/3/4), Jakob Poeltl (16/11/2)... go down the list, and it seems just about everyone played well. (As an aside, I have to echo Draymond's comments about gameplay. Letting the refs actually do their jobs has made things so much more fun to watch... and it's had the added bonus of watching players like Trae Young and James Harden just fling the ball after initiating contact anticipating a whistle that never comes. It's pretty funny.) Portland might be a real threat to go undefeated, and they certainly will stay that way against Orlando. We mentioned Toronto didn't look all that bad, and it's true. Outside of Jalen Green (23% FG... yikes, it'll come though), this team has been solid. Ja is a superstar. Tobias has been steady. Chris Duarte is an absolute steal. There's a lot to like about Toronto. It might not result in a win against OKC next week, but they're just volatile enough to pull an upset. Seattle Supersonics (1-1) over Memphis Grizzlies (0-2), 7-2You know, back in the day when we did these, the Grizzlies section got a little repetitive because they just kept beating the snot out of everyone. Two weeks in, and the opposite is happening. Obviously, that's mostly by design, but it's remarkably how quickly things can change. That "back in the day" was just two years ago. It remains to be seen what Seattle will do with those last two roster spots, but they were so dominant this week, maybe they don't need to fill them. Bradley Beal and James Harden continue to play below their own expectations. However, if Dejounte Murray (22/9/11/2) and Bam Adebayo play like that (22/14)? Who cares if Harden and Beal aren't 30-point scorers (well, still Seattle, but still). Memphis is still banged up, but DeAndre showed up (19/17/2)... and promptly got hurt. Doesn't seem like he'll be out that long. Scottie Barnes also got hurt, which is a shame because he's probably the leading ROY candidate at the moment (though Evan Mobley might have something to say). It does seem like Memphis' section could turn into a season-long Scottie Barnes appreciation corner. He is that good though. Colorado Swannies (2-0) over Brooklyn Nets (1-1), 6-2-1The other somewhat close match-up (it did come down to the last day, technically), saw the Swannies defeat Brooklyn for the 2nd time in 3 match-ups. Colorado is now 2-0, and looking at their schedule, there's a real chance for this team to go unbeaten in their non-conference match-ups. That would be a remarkable feat and would push yet another team into the Western Conference playoff picture. We're getting ahead of ourselves though. The usual suspects (LaMelo and AD) were good again. Darius Garland hasn't scored as much as they would have hoped, but he's racking up assists. The maligned off-season signings of Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Kuzma are paying huge dividends as both looked great. The Swannies also took care of some of their weak spots by signing Maxi Kleber, Bruce Brown and Luke Kennard. Is it enough to get them into the top-5? We'll see. They host Washington in week 3. This is the first match-up for Brooklyn where they really felt Kyrie's absence, and you have to wonder if they won't just cut their losses. Some of the young guys just don't look quite ready for the big time, so maybe it makes sense to see if you can salvage anything from Irving before it's too late. A tough one against the Kings awaits. OKC Thunder (1-1) over Washington Wizards (0-2), 7-2We wrap up this week with another blowout where, despite the best efforts of Giannis (31/12/6/2), the Wizards were just no match for OKC. Russ bounced back (23/10/9), though some of those games came without LeBron on the floor. The story for OKC was big counting numbers and really poor shooting). 9 of the 12 players OKC put out on the floor for this one shot below 45%. They're really going to need their big guns to pick that up to compete with some of these Western Conference juggernauts. Washington was just flat out not good this week, and we should probably just not talk about them. Unless Mason Plumlee's 8/8 average gets you excited.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 1, 2021 17:02:32 GMT -5
This was honestly a tough one to figure out. Since we're so early, I didn't want to reuse anyone, so that ruled out the go-to match-ups (Atlanta/Houston, GS/TB). Instead, we'll go with the family showdown between Brooklyn and Kansas City. The Kings look to continue their winning ways and stay unbeaten, which will be necessary in a tough Western Conference. The Nets, meanwhile, are looking at a really rough start if they can't squeak out a few wins here and there. We'll be fascinated to see if King Poopy's poop-talking ways return after this one (pun intended).
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 8, 2021 10:19:45 GMT -5
An absolutely brutal (BUH-ROO-TL) week for the Eastern Conference, as the Knicks saved them from going winless against the West. Even the Gamblers got their first win of the year, taking down a depleted Memphis squad. Another weird scheduling quirk? Home teams went 9-1, which means, every single West team was playing at home this week. Just kind of odd. Our game of the week lived up to the billing, so that's where we'll start. Kansas City Kings (3-0) over Brooklyn Nets (1-2), 5-4The Kings entered the final day needing to flip assists in order to stay unbeaten, and they got big assist games from Ricky Rubio and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to squeak out the victory. Rubio was particularly impressive on the final day, putting up 37-10 with 8(!) threes. It was a crucial win for the Kings since the other 5 unbeatens all won, as did both OKC and Seattle. The West truly is wild right now. There are legitimately 8 teams that all have a realistic shot of not just making the playoffs but winning the whole thing. For the Kings, they're going to count on their depth, of which everyone is finally healthy. They also cut some dead weight, signing JaVale McGee to cover some center minutes and jettisoning Marvin Bagley. The Kings might have the toughest non-conference schedule of any of the West teams, so banking early wins over both New York and Brooklyn is incredibly important. They should get a bit of a reprieve with the Magic next. On the Brooklyn side of things, there are some positives. They were right there despite Brandon Ingram missing the whole week. Evan Mobley looks like the ROY. Chris Paul continues to do Chris Paul things. Thad Young is finally playing. The bench as a whole looks a lot better than it did just two weeks ago. They're set up for a schedule loss against Phoenix, but this definitely looks like a top-5 Eastern Conference team (an admittedly low bar to clear). Golden State Warriors (3-0) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (1-2), 5-4Another final day thriller, the Warriors managed to hang onto assists, and the week, despite missing Khris Middleton for the duration of the match-up. Luckily for them, Seth Curry continues his insanely torrid start. He averaged 20 ppg this week, and he's now shooting 60% from the field and 50% from three! Devin Booker is heating up as well (28-8-4), as he shot 49% from the floor for the week. That Golden State won this despite playing over 100 fewer minutes makes this all the more impressive. 4-0 looks likely with Toronto up next. Meanwhile, things down in Tampa are starting to get a little warm. Jarrett Allen looked amazing (20-16), and both LaVine and Sabonis did their usual thing... but the chatter around De'Aaron Fox is only getting louder. He has not looked good, and the shooting continues to be a problem. The new rules seem to be impacting him, the same way they've impacted other smaller guards that have run wild the last few years. The Bull Sharks recently put him on the block, and it will be interesting to see what route they take. Another test awaits, this time with OKC. Houston Rockets (3-0) over Atlanta Hawks (2-1), 5-3-1The Hawks actually led this one for most of the week until the Rockets flipped things on Sunday. This was really a case of an uneven schedule. The Hawks were able to jump out to a lead because they had more games, and the Rockets came back for the same reason. Houston also, flat out, did not play well. De'Anthony Melton has come back down to Earth. Steph Curry averaged just 18 ppg on the week, and Dame shot 35%. The Rockets are 3-0, but we're now looking at 3 straight less than inspiring wins. The East is so bad, that it doesn't quite matter, but this team could be in for a rude awakening in conference play if things don't turn around a bit. They get, really, their only tough non-conference game this week against New York (without LeBron James). Speaking of falling back to Earth, remember that big first week from Steven Adams? Yeah, he put up 6-7 this week. Russell hurt his ankle. The team continues to need and want more out of Jaren Jackson Jr. It's interesting. This team is clearly a playoff team in the East, and the ceiling is there to compete for it all, but they seem to be struggling with the same things Houston is struggling with. Maybe that's why the match-up was so close? Seattle is next. Phoenix Suns (3-0) over Chicago Bulls (1-2), 6-3Early on, this looked like another steamroll by Phoenix, but the Bulls actually put up a decent fight despite some hellacious circumstances. As we head into this week, the Bulls are going to be without Patrick Williams, Jaylen Brown, and Dillon Brooks due to injury. Ben Simmons is still MIA. Malachi Flynn isn't really playing. They are only getting one game from Roby or Robinson-Earl. Of the guys that are playing, FIVE of them are shooting under 40% from the floor. And YET... this is probably a playoff team in the East if they want to be. Week 4 against the Swannies could be rough. The Suns, on the other hand, have to be excited. Miles Bridges shows no signs of slowing down, and now OG is getting it together (24-6 with 11 threes). Phoenix is banged up too, though, which makes their scheduling advantage super fortunate against Brooklyn (not that they'd really need it anyway. They should beat the Nets.) Portland Trailblazers (3-0) over Orlando Magic (0-3), 5-3-1This was one of those weird match-ups where the final score is not indicative at all of the match-up. Portland was never in danger of losing this one, HOWEVER... losing two counting categories and tying a third despite playing over 400 more minutes is either a weird fluke or cause for concern. Looking at the box, I'm inclined to say it's mildly concerning. There's nothing about the threes that stand out, which is bad... but you'd expect more blocks and steals, so that part is most certainly fluky. Kevin Durant is still amazing (30-8-5), and Paul George's workload will likely give him the counting stats to be seriously considered for MVP. Gotta figure out Trae's shooting though. Much like we mentioned about De'Aaron Fox, these small guards cannot seem to adjust to the more physical game. Portland heads to South Beach in week 4. For the Magic, Jordan Poole knocked down FIFTEEN threes in 3 games. And this is a guy that Orlando was ready to give away to get under the roster limit. Good on them for not doing that. A tough Kings team awaits. New York Knicks (2-1) over Utah Jazz (0-3), 7-2This one was closer than it had any right to be. New York won 7-2, but they won rebounds by 9, blocks by 1, and FG % by literally one shot. Basically, they avoided disaster, and they did so in large part because Donovan Mitchell put up 31-5-6 on the week. Norman Powell also shot the lights out, putting up 21 points per game on 55% shooting. Kyle Lowry also came alive with a 20-12-10 triple-double to end the week. However, things are about to get scary for the Knicks. LeBron James might be out for a month. Joel Embiid just got COVID. The bench is looking rough, and they've got the Rockets up next (on the bright side for them, the Gamblers are their week 5 opponent). On the other side of the ledger, the Jazz just continue to fight. They haven't won, but they've made all three losses a battle, and you would expect them to break through eventually. That could happen this week against Memphis. DeMar averaged 33 points per game, and Reggie Jackson is starting to heat up. This team won't make the playoffs in a stacked West, but they could definitely end a few team's seasons. Las Vegas Gamblers (1-2) over Memphis Grizzlies (0-3), 5-4The Gamblers WILL NOT be going winless this year! In maybe the upset of the century, Las Vegas managed to win a game, "stunning" the Memphis Grizzlies. I put that in quotes because I'm not sure Memphis would have beaten anyone this week. That team is wildly depleted. Only 7 players were even able to play for them this week, and three of them missed at least one game. Scottie Barnes had a tougher week coming back from injury, but Nic Batum is showing signs of life and might have trade value down the road. The real story, though, is the Gamblers pulling off the victory. And, of course, they end up losing Michael Porter Jr. for who knows how long. It was always a risk to count on a guy with the back of a 70-year-old, and it seems we may be seeing that risk rear it's ugly head. Still, Las Vegas might be able to make it two in a row against a ripe Washington squad. Seattle Supersonics (2-1) over Miami Heat (0-3), 7-2The Sonics have bounced back nicely from their season opening loss, and slowly but surely they're rounding into form. James Harden doesn't look quite there yet, but Bradley Beal exploded (24-4-6 on 53% shooting). Rudy Gobert is also still doing Rudy Gobert things. The real test of this strategy for Seattle is going to be what happens when they hit conference play (though their game against Atlanta this week won't be easy), because it's hard to see a roster with just 10 real players doing real damage in a West that deep. We'll see though. Miami may have lost this convincingly, but they have to be pleased with what they've seen from their young guys. This year was all about building something, and there is definitely something there. Herro has been phenomenal. Wendell Carter Jr. put up 16-13 on the week. Even more exciting for them has to be the fact that they own Memphis' pick. Portland awaits in week 4. Colorado Swannies (3-0) over Washington Wizards (0-3), 7-2Look, the West is a bloodbath. We all know that. That's why it's best to proceed with caution when making any declarative statements. One bad week, one injury at the wrong time, and your season is sunk. That said, I think it's time to start taking the Swannies seriously. I'm not saying they're a lock to make the playoffs, and they're schedule so far has been mostly cake, but just look at the numbers from this week. They would have beaten every single Western Conference team this week. They're among the top-8 teams in 7 of 9 categories this year. This week, they smashed the Wizards despite Anthony Davis missing the last game of the week because of an upset stomach. They've got Chicago up next, and with the way they're playing, it's not out of the question for them to run the table in the non-conference part of the slate. If they do, it suddenly makes their week 8 match-up with Portland fascinating. This team has been down and out for so long, it's hard not to get excited about where they're at. Washington, on the other hand, oof. The good news is they have their own pick, and Jalen Brunson looked pretty darn good (23 ppg on 60% shooting). Outside of that, Giannis is still dominant, but one has to wonder if this rebuild plan will include him or not. OKC Thunder (2-1) over Toronto Raptors (0-3), 7-2Last but not least, we have the Thunder taking care of business against the Raptors. They did this despite Jayson Tatum and Russ continuing to shoot like absolute crap. On the bright side, Luka put up 30-8-5 and made 11 threes. Maybe he's starting to round into shape, and OKC will most certainly need him as we move through the season (they'll likely need him next week against Tampa Bay). If there's one area this team can improve upon it's FG %, and that can largely be done by upgrading the center position. Currently they have Clint Capela, who's been fine, and Udoka Azubuike, who isn't even playing. Sure, Okongwu is on IR right now, but by the time he gets back, this team could be out of the playoff race. They seem ripe for a move, but will they make it? Toronto looked like a dark horse playoff candidate to start the season, but it's been rough sledding since then. Ja Morant came back down to Earth some (18-6-6 last week). Of course, it's the East, so just about every team is a dark horse playoff team, even the teams in first (lol). Jalen Green continues to struggle shooting the ball, but he is getting all the shots he wants, which might not actually be a good thing right now. Toronto drew the short straw this season and won't get to play Las Vegas, so it could be a winless non-conference for them. Though in the East, that doesn't mean anything.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 8, 2021 18:10:57 GMT -5
Full disclosure, we were originally going to go with New York vs. Houston since it was quite clearly the best match-up of the week. However, the loss of Embiid has likely rendered that one a blowout. SOOOOO... let's pivot over to the surprise team in the West, the Colorado Swannies, and their quest to stay unbeaten. Not only are they trying to stay unbeaten, but they're looking to DOUBLE last season's win total. Normally, knocking off the defending champions to do just that would be cause for wild celebration. This year, with the Bulls kind of, maybe rebuilding, but also definitely, seriously, banged up, it's not as big of a feat. Still, for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in over 10 years, it's fun to be good again. And not just good, but stocked with young talent. They're not doing this with vets on their last legs. This feels sustainable. The next step towards a playoff berth happens in Chicago.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 15, 2021 11:49:11 GMT -5
The East held their own! After back-to-back weeks of just horrendous play from the teams on the right coast, they had a bit of a bounce back this week winning four of ten match-ups. Sure they still went under .500, but it's a start. They also scored massive wins thanks to Brooklyn, Tampa Bay and Atlanta coming through. The former two winning has to bring back a lot of bad memories for the rest of this conference. After a one-year reprieve, are we back to the league's oldest rivalry? I guess we'll find out. But first, we start with another of the league's founding teams... Colorado Swannies (4-0) over Chicago Bulls (1-3), 7-2The Swannies. Are. HERE. It's been bubbling under the surface for a little while now, but there's no longer any denying it. This is a playoff-caliber team, and maybe a dark horse title contender. No, you know what? They ARE a title contender. Anthony Davis is having an MVP-caliber season (28-12-4-2-2 on the week), Myles Turner is blocking everything in sight (15 blocks), and LaMelo Ball continues to rack up numbers (17.5/12/8). Darius Garland and Josh Giddey are holding down the PG spot. Melo and Kuzma are basically having the exact same season (though Kuz is outrebounding him). It's a fun team to watch night and night out because they always seem to have someone pop. After years of building, we're finally here. Colorado can confidently say, "we want to make the playoffs." Toronto and Miami are their next two opponents, then they get a fun one to close the non-conference schedule: Tampa Bay. Win all three, and this team is in a very good place. On the other side, look, Chicago has been banged up. Jaylen Brown missed the week. Ben Simmons is still MIA. They didn't have much of a shot against a team firing on all cylinders. There's still a ton of talent on this Bulls team, and you would expect them to make the playoffs. The next three, however, are tough. Portland, OKC and Kansas City, but, hey, that's the West for you. Brooklyn Nets (2-2) over Phoenix Suns (3-1), 6-3Are the Nets... back? After dropping their last two games, it sure looked like they could end up with just 1-2 wins in the non-conference. Now? Four might be on the table, and if they win four non-conference games, that would all but clinch a playoff spot in the East. The interesting thing about this Nets team is that they're doing it on the margins. Chris Paul swiped 15 steals. Evan Mobley and Robert Williams each blocked 7 shots. Pat Connaughton and Nickeil Alexander-Walker knocked down 15 and 11 threes, respectively. They trailed most of the week, then Friday rolled around and they got 13 threes, 10 steals and 7 blocks. On Saturday, those numbers were 8, 6, and 8; then on Sunday, 5, 10, and 3. From a fantasy perspective, the standout was probably NAW. He came in shooting horrendously, then he averaged 22 ppg on 46% shooting. If he gets it going, with everyone back healthy, this is a formidable team. We'll see if they can keep it rolling against Seattle. It was a tough loss for Phoenix, since it puts them a game back of the five undefeated West teams, but there is still plenty of time and this team is damn good. Valanciunas averaged 20-12, and the Joker added another MVP-level week (25-14-10). They lost Kelly Olynyk this week, but there's some hope that Thybulle can make it back soon (even though they likely won't need him against Memphis). Given their steal and block numbers, they desperately need him. Golden State Warriors (4-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-4), 7-1-1Speaking of teams that have arrived, the Warriors continue to take care of business, this week dispatching the Raptors despite numerous injuries and COVID absences. In-season free agent signee Grayson Allen knocked down 19 three-pointers, and he may be in the running for best in-season signing. If there is an area of concern for this Warriors team, it's that they really don't generate defensive stats. They're 12th and 13th, respectively, in steals and blocks. While that will be buoyed somewhat with Middleton returning and Siakam playing full minutes again, those two aren't exactly defensive stoppers. It will be fascinating to see how Golden State handles that, and they may just do it with sheer offensive dominance, something they are absolutely capable of. A fascinating match-up against Atlanta awaits. The Raptors have just... it's been a rough go of it so far. No game against the West is easy, but they've had a lot of tough ones, and that will be the case again in week 5 against Colorado. Ja Morant is still awesome (28-8-8), but it's starting to look like this team needs another year to cook before they get taken out of the oven. Portland Trailblazers (4-0) over Miami Heat (0-4), 7-1-1We're almost reaching a weird dog days part of the season, as it's become crystal clear that the East cannot hang with the West. That's why, when we get these games between East bottom feeders and, well, anyone in the West, it can get a little stale. There was no world in which Miami was going to beat Portland, and sure enough, the Blazers cruised. In that victory, though, they had to be incredibly happy to see Trae Young finally get off the ground (32-4-8, 20 threes, 55% shooting). If Young gets going, with KD and PG both playing at All-NBA levels, that just makes this scary team even scarier. There's a reason they've been #1 in the Power Rankings for a few weeks now, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon with Chicago on deck. Miami might have the low-key game of the week against Utah since that is going to have a fairly significant impact on the draft lotto at the end of the season. Of course, with so many guys not playing right now, the Heat may actually be a sleeper playoff team. That is, if they want to be. Memphis Grizzlies (1-3) over Utah Jazz (0-4), 7-2Another shocker this week as the Grizzlies, despite just an incredible number of injuries, managed to defeat the Utah Jazz. Lu Dort, somehow, led the way in scoring (23 ppg) on the week. Jrue Holiday finally did something (15.5/4/8/2), though he shot it poorly. This was a real pillow fight, and I'm not sure how much can be gleaned from it. It's hard to believe that this was one of the more frequent playoff match-ups out West just a few years ago, and now both teams are... here. Memphis now gets a pissed off Phoenix team, while Utah gets another chance against the powderpuff portion of the schedule against Miami. They've now, shockingly, fallen two games behind the Las Vegas Gamblers in the standings. Can they catch up? Kansas City Kings (4-0) over Orlando Magic (0-4), 7-2This one was kind of boring. Much like the Portland-Miami match-up, there was no chance Orlando was going to beat Kansas City. The Kings are just too deep, with too many good players, that they were going to walk away with this even in an off week. Normally I would try to find something on each side to highlight, even in these blowouts, but this one is tough. The highlight for both are probably injuries, as the Kings have LeVert still dealing with a back issue and the Magic saw DeAndre Hunter go down for two months. Kansas City faces Washington in week 5. Orlando hosts OKC. Las Vegas Gamblers (2-2) over Washington Wizards (0-4), 5-4By a show of hands, who had the Gamblers at .500 at the quarter mark of the season? If your hand is raised you're a liar because no one could have seen this one coming. Sure, they got a severely banged up Grizzlies team and... whatever is going on with Washington, but still. Hats off to the Gamblers for competing. It's only going to get tougher with the Knicks up next, and MPJ officially out with no timetable, but they've banked two wins, and that's something. The Wizards may have cemented themselves as a bottom-5 team with this loss. They still have their fellow East tankers to contend with, but this looked like their only realistic chance at a non-conference win. Houston Rockets (4-0) over New York Knicks (2-2), 6-3Three weeks ago, this looked like a juicy match-up. Then LeBron went down, Embiid got COVID, and the wheels came off. It may not have mattered anyway because Steph Curry was on fire. He averaged 35-5-8 and knocked down 24 threes. It overshadowed nice weeks from Will Barton, Gary Trent and Jordan Clarkson. Looming as potential problems: Blake Griffin looks toast and Malik Beasley isn't really doing anything. Throw in an ominous Dame injury, and the Rockets may be in need of some reinforcements. They've got a tough match-up this week with Tampa Bay. The Knicks kind of lucked out getting Vegas on their schedule next because it buys some more time for LeBron and Embiid. The funny thing is, the Knicks didn't really play poorly, they just missed their stars. With LeBron and Embiid healthy, they easily could have won this one. If you're thinking of jumping off the NY bandwagon now, I would suggest waiting a few more weeks to see how things play out. Atlanta Hawks (3-1) over Seattle Supersonics (2-2), 6-3Yet another statement win for the Atlanta Hawks, as they fairly easily defeated the Sonics despite missing Jimmy Butler for the end of the week. Gordon Hayward continues to be a steadying presence in Atlanta (19.5/5/5), and Tyrese Maxey exploded, averaging 26-5-4. When things started to look a little shaky on Sunday, they got 9 threes from Patty Mills to seal the deal. The bar in the East, admittedly, isn't as high as the bar in the West, but this Hawks team looks like a contender. They've probably wrapped up a playoff spot at this point, barring an extinction level event. Their next four games will be fascinating: Golden State, Kansas City, Portland, Brooklyn. Seattle may have reached an early danger zone now with their second loss. The remaining non-conference schedule (Brooklyn, Washington, Toronto) looks fairly easy, but they're now two back of the playoffs, and they're still playing with, ostensibly, three empty roster spots (unless Saben Lee miraculously starts getting PT). They basically need their stars to be stars every single game, and that just hasn't been happening with James Harden. There's a world in which the current top-5 in the West all make it through the non-conference portion unscathed. If that happens, things will be really tough for Seattle. Tampa Bay (2-2) over OKC Thunder (2-2), 6-2-1What we just said about Seattle? Yeah, the same goes for OKC. The most shocking part of this loss had to be the difference in turnovers. The Bull Sharks had a minutes advantage of over 100 minutes, and yet OKC turned the ball over TWENTY-SIX more times. The main culprit? Russell Westbrook. For all the good he does in points, rebounds and assists (19.5/10/9.5 this week), the man murders his own team from the line and with the ball. He averaged 7 turnovers per game this week, which honestly shouldn't be possible. Now, all that being said, this one still had all the indicators of being a schedule loss. But man, it's brutal all the same. Meanwhile, the Bull Sharks have a chance to catch their breath. After staring down the barrel of a 2-5 non-conference start, 3-4 or even 4-3 looks to be on the table. And if they can knock off Houston, why not 5-2? To do that, they're just going to have to get more from KAT (20/9.5/3 on the week). He's honestly been kind of disappointing this year, but with Houston's lack of bigs, this is a golden opportunity for the Bull Sharks to cement their spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 15, 2021 16:04:33 GMT -5
OK, maybe I'm crazy for highlighting a match-up between two winless teams, but there are some serious late-season implications with this one (it's also the only match-up that features two teams that haven't been highlighted yet). The Heat are in a quasi-rebuild, but some of their young guys may be too good. The Jazz are built more like a contender, but they're vets aren't good enough. It's the movable object vs. the stoppable force lol. In all seriousness, the Jazz are now two games behind the Gamblers, and each loss only cements their status in the basement. For the Heat, it's their only winnable non-conference game, though much of their lotto position will be determined in-conference. That said, do lotto odds even matter anymore? Ever since they were flattened, the answer has been "kind of, maybe, not really." While there are other games we will most certainly be interested in, this one is going to get some special (if undeserved) attention.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 22, 2021 12:13:08 GMT -5
It was a bloodbath for the East this week. Once again, the Knicks saved the conference from a winless week. As it stands, the East is currently 12-38 against the West. The interesting thing about this dichotomy is that it is so extreme, that it's going to keep things wildly interesting once conference play starts (at least, in the West... the East has basically split right in the middle). It's hard to say any one team in the West got the short end of the stick with their non-conference schedule because the East is just so much worse. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get to the recaps... Utah Jazz (1-4) over Miami Heat (0-5), 6-3The Heat started selling early, somehow moving Evan Fournier for a pick and throwing around big money for a D-League guy who isn't playing (though he's clearly talented enough to play). They also had a number of injuries, and yet, they were just a handful of threes and turnovers from winning this game. If we're not mistaken, this is going to guarantee that Miami, Washington, and Orlando all enter conference play winless, setting up an epic struggle for the number 1 odds... which, as we've seen lately, really doesn't mean much anymore. For the Jazz, this is step one to getting out of the cellar of the West. It's kind of a lost year for them, given they have no pick, but you use it to collect assets for the future with an eye on next year. Utah heads to Toronto, while Miami visits Colorado. Portland Trailblazers (5-0) over Chicago Bulls (1-4), 6-3Signs of life in Chicago or alarm sirens going off in Portland? How you view this match-up is all about your perspective. Ultimately, the Blazers weren't really in danger, but this one was closer for much longer than anyone could have reasonably expected. The Blazers, thanks to injuries just tanking the start of this Chicago season, had a minutes advantage north of 200... yet they only scored 485 points as a team. The good news for Portland is KD should be fine and is returning to the lineup tonight. The bad(?) news is RJ Barrett was nowhere to be found last week (29.8% shooting? WOOF). He's now down to 39% on the year, and it does not appear he is making a leap. Though who knows, it's still early. Portland heads to Memphis in week 6. For the Bulls, they got some good news that Jaylen Brown is coming back. Unfortunately, the rest of the team remains banged up. Cole Anthony is currently out with an ankle injury. Dillon Brooks is struggling with a hamstring issue. Both Graham and Naz Reid have foot problems. Ben Simmons remains out. On the bright side, Zinger is looking good again (25-10-3). If he can maintain this level of play, and the Bulls can actually get healthy, the East is so wide open, they may just find their way back to the Finals. A tough home match-up with OKC awaits. Phoenix Suns (4-1) over Memphis Grizzlies (1-4), 7-2This one was actually a little closer than the score would indicate. There was a path to victory for Memphis, but Phoenix was able keep the door shut. The big question for the Suns heading into a tough week 6 game against New York is the status of Nikola Jokic. Collin Sexton is officially done for the year. OG Anunoby is likely out for this week. Olynyk is still out. Mitchell Robinson is in concussion protocol. If Jokic is out this week, the Suns could be in real danger of falling behind the top-5 in the West by two full games. That wouldn't knock them out by any means considering no conference games have been played, but it's still a hole they'd have to dig out of. They've been able to get really good weeks out of Valanciunas, Brogdon and Miles Bridges, and they'll need it to continue this week. We thought Memphis' write-up each week would basically just talk about Scottie Barnes and no one else, but things are happening in Memphis. Lu Dort has been... good (20/5.5 with FOURTEEN threes), and DeAndre Ayton is back with a vengeance (17.5/12.5). They're still waiting on Jonathan Isaac to come back, and obviously Kawhi is there as well. This team is looking sneaky good for next year. Seattle Supersonics (3-2) over Brooklyn Nets (2-3), 5-4The Sonics scratched out a borderline must-win over a Nets team playing without their two prized rookies, sneaking through by 5 steals. Depth continues to be an issue for Seattle, and it doesn't look like the plan to play with two open roster spots is going to work. James Harden at least put up some numbers (29-8-6), but he continues to shoot terribly from the field. Their lack of depth is not going to hurt them against Washington, or the following week against Toronto, but conference play is going to be another story. A lot of these West teams legitimately go 14-deep, and the difference between a win and a loss is not significant. There are moves to be made without moving a star; we'll see if they make them. Had they won, the Nets could have, effectively, wrapped up a playoff spot. Alas, that will have to wait for another week, and they should get through non-conference play with at least 3 wins (Golden State is next up, but Utah in week 7 looks like the third win). The key for Brooklyn will be getting everyone back and healthy for their week 8 match-up with Atlanta. Win that, and they may just avoid the play-in game. Golden State Warriors (5-0) over Atlanta Hawks (3-2), 5-4Another nail-biter here, as the Warriors managed to defeat the Hawks by just ONE free throw. The Warriors have slowly been getting everyone healthy, and once Vuc is back, they'll basically be whole (depending on how you view Kendrick Nunn). The Warriors have one more "test" with Brooklyn this week, and if they win, they should get through non-conference unscathed. They may not have gotten huge individual scoring numbers against Atlanta, but it seemed like they had a number of great all-around performances. FVV (17.5/4/6/2/1), Middleton (15/6/6), Book (22/5/3), Siakam (19/6/3.5)... I could keep going, but it was just a really solid all-around week for this club. They're looking more and more formidable heading into conference play, and that's all you can ask for out West. Atlanta closes non-conference play with KC and Portland, but they'll still get through with a minimum of 3 wins, which sets them up nicely for a return to the postseason. D'Angelo Russell showed signed of life (22/5/3) and Jimmy Butler is a low-key MVP candidate (31/6/6/2). If he keeps up this kind of play, he's going to get his own section in the mid-point round-up. OKC Thunder (3-2) over Orlando Magic (0-5), 7-2Look, no offense to these last few teams/games, but we're going to kind of breeze through them. The big thing for OKC this week was Jayson Tatum finally shooting it well (31/9/4 on 48% shooting). They thoroughly dominated the Magic, and now they finish non-conference with Chicago and New York. It's certainly not an easy stretch, especially with Luka hurt, but it's two games they will need to win to keep pace with the rest of the conference. Orlando was bad this week, but Jordan Poole made 13 threes, so there's that. They head to Houston. Kansas City Kings (5-0) over Washington Wizards (0-5), 6-3This one actually looked in doubt for about four days before the Kings turned on the jets and closed this one out. KC's depth continues to overwhelm, which is huge for them since no one is playing lights out ball right now. If anyone got hurt by the non-conference schedule, it's these Kings who wrap up with Atlanta and Chicago. After facing New York and Brookyln, that's just a tough draw, but they can still go undefeated in this stretch. Jalen Brunson has looked good for the Wizards since Luka went out. Outside of that... Giannis is still pretty good. Houston Rockets (5-0) over Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (2-3), 6-2-1It should tell you how far the East has fallen that this game wasn't really mentioned in any space until now. Tampa Bay came into the season as the de facto favorite in the East, but they have underwhelmed to this point, and Houston took care of business despite Tampa playing more minutes. In the grand scheme of things, this doesn't matter. Tampa Bay will enter conference play with at least 3 wins (Vegas this week), and they'll make the playoffs. The question will simply be... do they want to go for it? The answer to that on Houston's side should be yes, with the way Steph Curry is playing. We mentioned Jimmy Butler as a low-key MVP candidate, well, Steph is a high-key candidate (if that's a thing). He was sublime this week (30/4/6, 19 threes). Here's an interesting quirk: Dame Lillard led Houston in blocks this week with 5. Dame Lillard! Houston really needs a big man. With Orlando and Washington up next, they're getting to conference play unbeaten. Colorado Swannies (5-0) over Toronto Raptors (0-5), 7-2The Swannies did what good teams do: they overwhelmed an inferior opponent with both star power and depth. LaMelo Ball nearly averaged a triple-double for the week (19/9/11), and Anthony Davis blocked 10 shots (in addition to everything else he did). After Miami, the big test awaits for them: Tampa Bay. No idea what to make of Toronto. This looks like a team that, on paper, should contend for a playoff spot in the East, but they just can't seem to get off the ground. Maybe this week against Utah can get them going. New York Knicks (3-2) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-3), 6-2-1The Knicks have not been able to put together a winning streak this year, but they also haven't had a losing streak, so that's good enough for first in the East. This probably should have been a bigger blowout than it was, even with Embiid out. That it wasn't has to be a concern going into their game against Phoenix, and there's still no word when Embiid is coming back. They'll still make the playoffs, but they could really use some solid stretches. The Gamblers might be the most banged up team in the league, and now MPJ could be gone for the season. Good job, good effort, Gamblers. We'll see you next year.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 22, 2021 15:15:27 GMT -5
We're starting to get into the thick of it now. No more spotlights on the league's dregs (no offense, bottom-feeders); we need to focus on the games that matter. There are a few this week that do, but none more so that NY/PHX. With the top-5 in the West all looking at games they should win, it is imperative for the Suns to keep pace. Falling two back isn't a death sentence, but it can't just be written off. The Suns really can't afford to lose to both New York teams. The Knicks, on the other hand, can afford to lose this... but they probably shouldn't get too comfortable. The Nets, Hawks and Bull sharks could easily finish above them and knock them to the play-in game. With that being a one-week match-up, who knows what could happen.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 29, 2021 10:57:04 GMT -5
Big week for the East. They got TWO wins! The East is now 14-46 against the West. Thank God there's only one more week of interconference play, and we don't have to go on and on about how much better the West is than the East. Just one more week until the real fun begins. So let's all just take a seat, grit our teeth, and get through this last week of largely uninspiring match-ups. Next year has to be better, right? New York Knicks (4-2) over Phoenix Suns (4-2), 6-3At least our game of the week lived up to the billing. This was a back-and-forth affair coming down to the final game, with LeBron putting the Knicks over the top. New York did benefit from a large minutes advantage (200+), and the Suns were missing both OG and Jokic all week. LeBron actually had a really good week, averaging 34-9, but it's got to be a little concerning how many threes he is putting up. 8.5 of his 20 shots per game are threes, the largest percentage of his career, and 46% of his shot attempts this week were three-pointers. Why is that bad from a fantasy standpoint? Well, it brings down his shooting percentage (currently his lowest percentage in 15 years), it means he's not getting to the line as much (just 4.8 attempts, a career low - and he's actually shooting well from there at the moment). It remains to be seen if he is still capable of beating guys off the dribble, which he may not be. It won't really matter for the Knicks this year (they're the favorites in the East), and maybe not next week, though OKC is tough, but moving forward... it's something to keep an eye on. Phoenix, now, finds themselves in a precarious situation. The top-5 in the West all won, with each moving to 6-0. The Suns now find themselves two back of the playoffs, though we have a lot of time and all of conference play left on the table. The Suns are by no means out of it, and they'll almost certainly be 5-2 with Miami next week (with or without Jokic). They've also lucked out, in a sense, getting Vegas as their first conference game, buying Jokic and OG even more time. One thing is clear, however... this team needs those two in order to win a title. Colorado Swannies (6-0) over Miami Heat (0-6), 6-3This one was oddly close for a few days before Colorado turned on the jets to finish off Miami. Big weeks for Darius Garland (23-10) and LaMelo Ball (20/8.5/9). The Swannies may not be the highest scoring team (currently tied for 6th with the Warriors), but they do everything else very well (5th in threes, 4th in boards, 3rd in steals, 1st in blocks). Their match-up this week with Tampa Bay will be their biggest test of the season to date, and a win would go a long way toward making the playoffs (if these two had played last week, Tampa would have won). Miami has already started their rebuild, and they have to like what they've seen so far out of Wendell Carter. He averaged 17-10.5 last week and looks like a keeper. Other than that, just kind of waiting to see if Oubre nets any kind of return, though he does feel like a deadline deal. Portland Trailblazers (6-0) over Memphis Grizzlies (1-5), 5-3-1It might officially be time to worry just a tad about the Blazers. They're 6-0 and leading the league in four categories, but the last two wins have not been pretty. This week, especially, was much closer than it had any right to be, and for a short stretch it looked like Memphis may just pull the upset. Mikal Bridges and Kevin Durant picking up 11 combined steals on Saturday was the difference, and it sets up a fascinating match-up with the Atlanta Hawks. Had these two played this past week, it could have right down to the wire with Portland hanging on by a couple steals. If Jimmy Butler plays for the Hawks, we could be in for a treat (game of the week, perhaps?). The Blazers have been #1 in the Power Rankings all year, but cracks definitely do appear to be forming. The Grizzlies have to be thrilled by the continued stellar play of their young guys. Scottie Barnes (18/8/3/1), DeAndre Ayton (15/11), and Lu Dort (21/4/2) all looked really good. And Jrue Holiday finally showed up as well (20/6/6). The Grizzlies might just be a dark horse playoff candidate, depending on how injuries shake out. They get Golden State next. Seattle Supersonics (4-2) over Washington Wizards (0-6), 7-2The Sonics escaped their match-up with Brooklyn and now look poised to enter conference play 5-2 with an injury-ravaged Toronto on deck. Kevin Porter Jr. busted it out in a major way this week... but Seattle left him on the bench, so none of it counted. Amazingly, despite playing with just 12 players and employing Saben Lee, the Sonics are 2nd in boards, 4th in assists, 2nd in steals, and 2nd in blocks. They're also somehow LAST in turnovers (lol). Gut check time comes early for Seattle: they open conference play with Houston. We'll see just how effective this strategy is. Speaking of Houston, that's Washington's next opponent in their long, slow, death march. Desmond Bane continues to be a bright spot for them, and with Ja out, he should only get more opportunities. Golden State Warriors (6-0) over Brooklyn Nets (2-4), 6-3The Dubs rode a 100+ minutes advantage to their 6th straight win to start the season. It doubles last season's wins total, and this team looks poised to make a run deep into the postseason. FVV averaged 25/6/5, Book put up 30 per game, and even Kevin Love is contributing. They're just a really well-rounded team right now (though it is funny that Brooklyn outranks them in 6 of 9 categories), and with Memphis up next, they should enter conference play 7-0. For the Nets, it was the same story as it's been most of the season: just plain ran out of gas. The Nets were without their two centers for, essentially, the whole week, and that proved to be the difference. The Nets haven't been a bad team this year, and the fact they've been in every game this season should hearten them heading into conference play, but they still moved reliable big man, Montrezl Harrell to Kansas City for a late first and Brandon Clarke. This team might not have designs on a title, but we'll see. They close up non-conference play with Utah. OKC Thunder (4-2) over Chicago Bulls (1-5), 7-2This one was a walkover, and it was over almost immediately. The Thunder had a minutes advantage of over 400(!), and there was just no way Chicago was going to win this one. The good news for the Bulls is they're almost fully healthy... the bad news is the two guys missing are their point guards. This team is still talented enough to make the playoffs, they just need their guys healthy. This was a big win for the Thunder, and it sets up a potential game of the week match-up with New York. I don't want to say it's a must win for OKC, but falling behind by 3 games going into conference play is a lot of ground to make up. Kansas City Kings (6-0) over Atlanta Hawks (3-3), 5-4The cardiac Kings do it yet again, hanging on for a 5-4 win against Atlanta. The margin of victory was a couple of free throws, and the Kings wisely sat Jerami Grant to preserve the victory (though it proved unnecessary since Grant didn't miss any free throws). However, there are serious problems for this team. For one thing, Harrison Barnes, Dennis Schroder, and Terrence Ross are all dealing with injuries. Then news came out today that Kemba Walker was no longer going to be in the rotation, making him an empty roster spot. What it means is the Kings will now have to get through this week against the Bulls, then reassess over the next two weeks against the Jazz and Gamblers. If they win this week, 9-0 is within reach, and they'd just need to go 3-4 down the stretch to get to 12 wins. But in this Western conference, 12 wins might not be enough. For the Hawks, it was the second week in a row they lost by just one free throw. Those are some tough beats, but the big picture here is that Atlanta is a sure-fire playoff team in the East. Even if they lose to Portland this week, double-digit wins are not out of the question, and the playoffs would be a sight for sore eyes after some tough years. Houston Rockets (6-0) over Orlando Magic (0-6), 7-2These last three match-ups were fairly unremarkable, so we'll probably just breeze right through them. The Rockets beat up on Orlando, though they're still having big man issues (just 10 blocks and now down to 11th in the league in rebounds). With Alperen Sengun as the only center on this roster, they're almost certainly going to need outside help. Orlando is going to likely see an uptick in production for Immanuel Quickley with Kemba out of the rotation. Utah Jazz (2-4) over Toronto Raptors (0-6), 6-3The Raps were in this one until the weekend when injuries finally did them in. And they've probably finished the team for good with Ja going down for an undisclosed period of time. The Jazz welcomed back Lauri Markkanen and got some pretty solid play out of him (19-8, 9 threes). Also, Marvin Bagley is playing again? Utah is going to be an interesting team to watch this summer. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (3-3) over Las Vegas Gamblers (2-4), 8-1Another match-up with a minutes advantage nearing 400, Tampa cruised pas the Gamblers in this 2015 Finals rematch. The stars still aren't producing quite like the Bull Sharks would prefer, but they made a shrewd move nabbing Alec Burks over the weekend. The Gamblers got terrible news just this morning as it was announced that Michael Porter Jr. is having back surgery and will be out the rest of the year.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 29, 2021 14:01:25 GMT -5
Welcome back, Atlanta, to the game of the week! It was a little tough to pick one out for week 7, and there's a case to be made for Colorado/Tampa Bay and NY/OKC, but Atlanta being this close to wins over the past couple of weeks, and Portland being on a bit of a downswing makes this one rather intriguing. The deciding factor here could be injuries. Will the Blazers get Richaun Holmes and Derrick Rose back? Is Brook Lopez ever going to play again? Does Jimmy Butler miss time for Atlanta? This one might not make a difference to Atlanta's playoff hopes, but it could go a long way in determining Portland's fate.
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 6, 2021 12:52:27 GMT -5
At long last, inter-conference play is finally over. Now, the real fun begins. It is interesting to see how non-conference play broke down the conferences. In the East (a robust 18-52 against the West), the Knicks and Bull Sharks, predictably, emerged as the top-2 teams. However, there appears to be something brewing beneath the surface. Among the top-4 in the East (NY, Tampa, Brooklyn, Atlanta), the Nets and Hawks are top-2 in FT %, assists, steals, and blocks. The Nets in particular are a fascinating case as they rank in the top-8 in 7 of 9 categories. That's better than all the other East teams, as none are top-8 in more than 6 categories. Could the Nets be a dark horse Finals team? In the West, things are close. Agonizingly close. Like, close enough that turnovers could be a deciding factor in these match-ups. That kind of close. The only two teams out of it, at this point, are Utah and Vegas. Everyone else has to feel like they have a shot, though things aren't looking great right now for OKC or Seattle. Of course, go on a run in conference play, and the picture can change dramatically. We'll take one look back at week 7, then let's never speak of non-conference play again. Here we go... Portland Trailblazers (7-0) over Atlanta Hawks (3-4), 6-3The undermanned Blazers head into conference play unbeaten thanks to a thrilling victory over the Hawks. Portland managed to hang on and win by just 8 points and a free throw, and they can probably thank Kevin Durant for that (28/8/6, 23/24 from the line). Trae Young was pretty good too (28/5/12, 14/16 from the line). So Portland escapes and heads into a massive game with Colorado almost fully healthy (Lopez is out, but Beverley and Little should be back this week). It was a little hairy for a stretch there, but the Blazers have to feel pretty good about where they stand. They'll almost certainly end up waiving Lopez, which should give them enough space to sign a replacement. We'll find out about them pretty quickly. They get the 3 other unbeatens over the next 4 weeks. Atlanta is also, probably, walking away from this game feeling pretty good. They're 3-4, but they held their own against everyone. And with the bottom of the East looking rough, they're assured a playoff spot. Now it's just a matter of trying to get to that top seed. That road starts with a giant game in Brooklyn. Tampa Bay Bull Sharks (4-3) over Colorado Swannies (6-1), 6-3Speaking of big wins, the Bull Sharks took advantage of a huge minutes advantage (1050 vs. 833) to get the job done against Colorado. Nevermind that they only won by one assist and one free throw (or that they almost certainly would have lost if LaMelo hadn't gotten COVID). The bottom line is a win is a win, and it keeps Tampa Bay in the running for the top seed. The big news for the Bull Sharks is that Jarrett Allen is an all-star. A real, bona fide, all-star. He averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and shot 72% from the floor this week. His emergence has given the Bull Sharks the best big man trio in the league, bar none. KAT, Allen, Sabonis is ridonkulous. Now they just need the role guys to step up. As easy one against Washington awaits. Colorado has to feel like the wind has been taken out of their sails a bit. After a 6-0 start had the league buzzing, LaMelo getting popped for COVID is a real kick in the pills. Especially with Portland coming up. More than anything, they're going to miss his scoring. At this point, you hope it's just a one week thing because Golden State is up after the Blazers... unfortunately, that's not how these COVID absences have been trending. Golden State Warriors (7-0) over Memphis Grizzlies (1-6), 7-2The dubs just keep taking care of business, and last week was no exception. This one wasn't close. Vuc showed signs of life (23-9-3, 12 threes), and the Kevin Love renaissance continues to inspire, but there are some injury issues here. Every game is going to matter in conference play, and the Warriors open things up against OKC with question marks surrounding Devin Booker, Al Horford, Grayson Allen, and Jimmy Butler. That's right, Jimmy Butler is back on the team. After Golden State traded him to Atlanta in the off-season, they decided to ask for a do-over, and here we are. The good news is OKC is dealing with their own issues. But if OKC's injuries get righted, the Thunder could easily win this game. Memphis has quietly looked better and better as the season has gone on, but they may now be hampered with too many injuries to make any kind of playoff run. TJ McConnell is now out for the foreseeable future, and it has left the Grizzlies with just 8 actual players (9, I guess, if you count Jarrett Culver). A loss to the Bulls most likely ends any playoff hopes for the Grizzlies. Week 8 play-in game, yeah, I said it. Seattle Supersonics (5-2) over Toronto Raptors (0-7), 8-1The Sonics continue to win in spite of their own roster construction. With Bam now out, the Sonics are relying on 10 guys to get the job done. One of them is banged up himself (KPJ), and two of them are RoCo and JaMychal Green. It's really not a good situation to be in, and yet... here they stand at 5-2. The next four games determine the season. Houston, Phoenix, Colorado, Kansas City. If they can somehow manage a split, they can then beat the Gamblers and enter the home stretch with an 8-4 record. Bam should be coming back by then. After that? It's anyone's guess. The Raptors are the biggest MASH unit in the league right now. They'd put together a feisty, young team, and it has all come crashing down. Ja is out. Jalen Green is out. Bogdanovic is out. James Wiseman is out. Tobias Harris has been in and out. The team's 5 best players, all gone. It's been a rough season, and they don't even have their pick (Memphis licking their chops right now holding both Toronto and Orlando picks). Speaking of which, those two teams play this week. Brooklyn Nets (3-4) over Utah Jazz (2-5), 8-1It would be interesting to take the temperature over in Brooklyn because this certainly has the feel of a team better than their record. Things just haven't broken their way, it seems, and that trend looks likely to continue against Atlanta, who will have a decent schedule advantage. They got a big scoring week from Brandon Ingram, and Evan Mobley continues to lead the rookie of the year race, but Jalen Suggs got hurt, Buddy Hield disappointed, and Robert Williams is all over the map. Their next three (Atlanta, Memphis, Tampa Bay) will likely determine their playoff seed. The Jazz certainly have more fight in them than most 2-5 teams, though with how good the West is, wins are going to be limited over the last nine weeks. It will be interesting to see what they do at the deadline. KC awaits. New York Knicks (5-2) over OKC Thunder (4-3), 4-4-1Has anyone had worse luck than the Thunder? They're now two back of the 5th seed, and two of their losses have come on the points tiebreaker. The third, against Tampa Bay, they tied two categories and lost points by 18. Just a tremendous run of bad luck, and now they have to face the Warriors with Luka nursing an injured ankle, and Coby White still out with COVID. Jayson Tatum was great (31-10), and Derrick White got it together this week, but it's all about Luka. If he is back and healthy, the Thunder can absolutely beat Golden State. If he's not? Better luck next year. The Knicks start conference play against Miami feeling pretty good, one would think. There are some kinks to work out, but Donovan Mitchell put up 33 ppg last week on 57% shooting, so that's a good sign. If LeBron and Embiid can find their rhythms, this is the team to beat. But we all knew that already. Kansas City Kings (7-0) over Chicago Bulls (1-6), 7-2Well, the Kings won again. And they got more good news just a few minutes ago as SGA was cleared to play. This one wasn't close, and the Kings continue to win on the back of an all-around team effort. At least ten players tallied 24 or more total points on the week. The big news in Kansas City was the unceremonious dumping of Kemba Walker. The Kings spent an obscene amount of money (one-year deal, but still) to bring in the veteran point guard, and he looked ok. However, once he fell out of the rotation, the Kings determined it was time to move on. The Kings will ease into conference play, as much as any West team can, with Utah and Vegas, but make no mistake. The Jazz are going to make Kansas City earn it. For the Bulls, we kind of covered it in the Grizzlies game recap. This week 8 match-up is, more than likely, going to determine if the Bulls make the playoffs are not. If this team can get healthy (and Ben Simmons can do anything), then they have the horses to make a run. Seven weeks in, though, it's hard to count on that. The title defense starts in earnest this week. Houston Rockets (7-0) over Washington Wizards (0-7), 7-2OK, no offense to the last few games, but we're going to breeze through these. The Rockets were never challenged against Washington, and Julius Randle was a beast (26/9/7). Steph shot horrifically, but he still knocked down 14 threes. He's due for some progression to the mean, which is terrifying. Zion made an appearance (remember that guy?) warming up, but he looks like he might weight 300 pounds, so who knows when he'll make his comeback. If he does, Houston probably vaults back to the top of the conference (especially if PJ Washington and Alperen Sengun keep playing). They get Seattle to start conference play. The Wizards continue to be not good, and it was only made worse when Giannis missed two games. Tampa is their week 8 opponent. Orlando (1-6) over Las Vegas (2-5), 6-2-1We said earlier that Toronto was the biggest MASH unit, but Vegas gives them a run for their money. Klay Thompson, Frank Kaminsky, Michael Porter Jr., Joe Harris, and Ziaire Williams... all out. In fact, Vegas had fewer minutes played than the Raptors. Franz Wagner continues his dark horse ROY campaign, but Terry Rozier will now be out for at least a week with COVID. That's going to make this match-up with Toronto quite tricky. Vegas gets Phoenix to start conference play, in what will inevitably be a winless conference season for them. Phoenix Suns (5-2) over Miami Heat (0-7), 8-1Oh hey, the Suns. They are eagerly awaiting the return of OG Anunoby, but who knows when that is going to happen. Fortunately(?), they start conference play with Vegas, Seattle, and Utah in the first four weeks, buying OG a little more time before the gauntlet truly begins. Jonas Valanciunas has proven to be one heck of a signing for the Suns (19-10 this week). The Heat... tried, you have to give them that. Oubre put up numbers. WCJ and John Collins were solid. They just don't have the firepower.
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 6, 2021 14:53:00 GMT -5
It's going to be hard not to pick a Western Conference game every week from here on out, and there were certainly a few to choose from. Ultimately, we went with the WCF rematch as the stakes have suddenly risen quite a bit with this Bam injury. If the Sonics can scratch out a win, it would go a long way in keeping them alive for the stretch run. On the other side of the coin, a win would assure Houston of 10 wins (assuming victories over Utah and Vegas), getting them that much closer to the postseason and another crack at a 2nd title that has proven to be more elusive than many would have thought.
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