***Official 2023-2024 NBA Thread***

[dirk digler]

Can't believe the NBA Season is starting tonight. Way to early but here we go.

Lakers vs Nuggets: 6:30PM

Suns vs Warriors: 9PM

Both on TNT

[PunkinDrublic]

Bad shooting night for the Mavs. KAT can’t keep making those flukey threes the rest of the series.

[RealSNR]

I haven’t lost hope but it’s still pretty obvious Dallas is the better team. It takes kyrie playing like dogshit for us to eke out a win like this.

Can they draw this three more times? Anything is possible I guess?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

I haven’t lost hope but it’s still pretty obvious Dallas is the better team. It takes kyrie playing like dogshit for us to eke out a win like this.

Can they draw this three more times? Anything is possible I guess?

If Lively doesn’t come back this series, that’ll help. He’d been playing nearly 30 minutes a game for them very effectively and they are replacing his time with literal scrubs (Kleber, Powell).

[Sassy Squatch]

Kleber looked like he was legit playing high

[chiefzilla1501]

It's a damn shame that this is probably the best series of all we've had in all the playoffs. Dallas going up 3-0 hides that series has been seriously electric. Hate that im kinda rooting for the series to end quick so "not Boston" can advance, since I really like this Minnesota team.

[chiefzilla1501]

I do think that without lively if KAT can play semi competent for 4 quarters minnesota has an outside shot. They found a real good groove defensively. The question from there is how loose a whistle will the refs have. They were playing on roller skates the entire second half and I thought Scott foster was way too aggressive with the whistle last night.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

Bad shooting night for the Mavs. KAT can’t keep making those flukey threes the rest of the series.

He's a 41 or 42% 3FG shooter this year. Yeah he can keep making them.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Doesn't like foreign players...yet jerked it to Sasha Kaun and Reif LeFrentz

[loochy]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

No clue why Dallas is suddenly playing Kleber in this series, he’s so bad. Lively is a big loss, yes, but they don’t need to play that guy.

Because he's finally cleared to play from his ac sprain/dislocation/whatever.


They're playing him now in this series to get him some minutes and get him back to speed so he can be used in the finals.


He's been a big part of the team all year. He can play D and make 3s. He's much better away from the basket. He doesn't play "big" like Lively and Gafford.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by loochy

Because he's finally cleared to play from his ac sprain/dislocation/whatever.


They're playing him now in this series to get him some minutes and get him back to speed so he can be used in the finals.


He's been a big part of the team all year. He can play D and make 3s. He's much better away from the basket. He doesn't play "big" like Lively and Gafford.

I'm aware of who he is and what he does. His health doesn't change the fact that he's a bad basketball player and shouldn't be playing real minutes for a Finals team.

The guy averaged 4 points a game in 20 minutes this year. Stick him on the bench where he belongs and play the guys who got you there (when Lively returns).

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brioni

Doesn't like foreign players...yet jerked it to Sasha Kaun and Reif LeFrentz

Raef LaFrentz grew up in Manona, Iowa.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

Bad shooting night for the Mavs. KAT can’t keep making those flukey threes the rest of the series.

Flukey? How so?

[PunkinDrublic]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Flukey? How so?

He’s been cold all series until he started hitting those threes down the stretch last night. Kyrie has a better chance of going off in the clutch again than KAT hitting key shots like that again.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

He’s been cold all series until he started hitting those threes down the stretch last night. Kyrie has a better chance of going off in the clutch again than KAT hitting key shots like that again.

Just to be clear: KAT shot about 42% from 3 during the regular season this year, 53% against PHX in the first round, 40% against DEN in the Semis, and has only shot 26% in the Conference Finals. Given a career percentage of around 40%, how would making 3s down the stretch be considered, in any way, "flukey?"

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

He’s been cold all series until he started hitting those threes down the stretch last night. Kyrie has a better chance of going off in the clutch again than KAT hitting key shots like that again.

Him being cold is the anomaly, though. He may not be hot again like he was, but statistically I think we can expect him not to be completely cold from 3