***Official 2024-2025 NBA Thread***

[KC_Connection]

Season starts tonight with Knicks and Celtics followed by Lakers and TWolves.

Will history be made early in the 2nd game?

[KC_Connection]

Hayes is unplayable, get him out of the game. Two incredibly stupid plays in a row.

[KC_Connection]

No clue what Reaves is doing there on that 2 on 1.

[Pepe Silvia]

I guess the Thunder are going to lose in the WCF.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Hayes is unplayable, get him out of the game. Two incredibly stupid plays in a row.

Yeah - noticed that in the 2nd quarter. He can't be out there.

Lakers sure look like they're gonna lose this series. Even if they hang on here, I'm not sure how they can win on the road trying to win a game by playing a couple of 8 minute stretches of quality basketball and hanging on like grim death for the remaining 26 minutes...

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Pepe Silvia

I guess the Thunder are going to lose in the WCF.

WCF? Is Kawhi getting hurt or something?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah - noticed that in the 2nd quarter. He can't be out there.

Lakers sure look like they're gonna lose this series. Even if they hang on here, I'm not sure how they can win on the road trying to win a game by playing a couple of 8 minute stretches of quality basketball and hanging on like grim death for the remaining 26 minutes...

Luka is capable of some crazy shit and that's what it'll take, I think.

[DJ's left nut]

Reaves sure seems like he can get to the rim at will.

So the Lakers should probably take more 3 pointers.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Luka is capable of some crazy shit and that's what it'll take, I think.

They could put the ball in Reaves hands and let him take it home, IMO.

Minnesota will have to adjust if they lean into it. He's just cutting right through them whenever he really wants to.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

WCF? Is Kawhi getting hurt or something?

The Clippers are not allowed to win anything.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

They could put the ball in Reaves hands and let him take it home, IMO.

Minnesota will have to adjust if they lean into it. He's just cutting right through them whenever he really wants to.

Helps that they usually put their two best perimeter defenders on Luka/LeBron, but I still think there might too much size around the rim for Reaves to finish consistently against this team.

I'd go to Luka.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by Pepe Silvia

The Clippers are not allowed to win anything.

Same for the Raptors but Kawhi fought through that in 2019.

[KC_Connection]

LeBron.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Helps that they usually put their two best perimeter defenders on Luka/LeBron, but I still think there might too much size around the rim for Reaves to finish consistently against this team.

I'd go to Luka.

Right -- eventually.

But I think you force them off him by heavily featuring Reaves until they adjust.

That will help Luka find some space. Feels like he hasn't hit a shot since the 2nd quarter and they're making him work his ass off (and really settle into a distributor role).

You could use Reaves to help him out a bit. Have Luke set some screens, get some switches onto Reaves and work a little more without the ball to create some looks.

Right now he's really struggling trying to run the offense in the half-court because they're collapsing on him with their best defenders.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Same for the Raptors but Kawhi fought through that in 2019.

It's more about the Lakers, they don't want competition for them.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Right -- eventually.

But I think you force them off him by heavily featuring Reaves until they adjust.

That will help Luka find some space. Feels like he hasn't hit a shot since the 2nd quarter and they're making him work his ass off (and really settle into a distributor role).

You could use Reaves to help him out a bit. Have Luke set some screens, get some switches onto Reaves and work a little more without the ball to create some looks.

Right now he's really struggling trying to run the offense in the half-court because they're collapsing on him with their best defenders.

Oh, I'd certainly go to Reaves more in game 3 for exactly the reasons you cite. But Luka down the stretch for me is the guy.