NBA discussion

[milehigh]

Gidley was impressive, however the game was a lot closer thzn it should have been due the the officials let OKC get away with mugging Nuggets players on multiple occasions.

Another triple double from Jokic, now equal 6th on the all time list, in the least games. Also a good return for Murray, a double double for Gordan, 20 points for MPJ and good contributions from KCB, Bruce Brown and Christian Braun, who is getting a bigger role each game.

Nuggets may not be flashy, but the remind me of a Rob Paternostro coached team, at the higher NBA level.

Based on this start Jokic has to be a leading contender for MVP again.

[SamH]

I'll tell you now why Jokic won't win MVP - the last man to win it 3 straight times was Larry Bird and it caused big rows about racism. Isaiah Thomas said he only kept winning it because he's white and the media storm was considerable.

Nearly 40 years on you'd like to think things would have changed, but I guarantee if Jokic wins it again the similarity will be brought up and the league just won't want any part of that. I know it's the media who vote for the award but I just don't see it happening, everyone will want to steer clear of that stuff. Plus as we've seen with Jordan and LeBron, it isn't about who deserves it sometimes, so much as who's turn it is. They don't like to keep giving it to the same dude.

[Deleted]

Spurs have released 19 year old lottery pick Josh Primo, despite looking very promising and playing lots of minutes, think he’s going to have done something pretty bad for them to do that

Stunned and saddened as he is one of my favourite players

[Deleted]

On the plus side after I said Jeremy had struggled in his early games he has been so much better, 2-3 from deep tonight and has looked really good these last 2.5 games

[milehigh]

The thing about Jokic, is that he isn't flashy, he isn't loud or covered in ink or bling. He's a team focused family guy who plays for his team first. Also he plays in Denver whis is a market that gets ignored, in every sport. The NFL hall of fame has a lot less Denver Broncos than there should be, the same in Hockey and basketball.

Having watched most of the Nuggets first 6 games it's fair to say that Jokic was the best player on the court in all of the games.

Watch for Christian Braun in the Rookie of the year options, he's worked up to over 20 minutes a game coming from the bench, is playing at key points of the game and is a superb defender. However he's a clean cut white guy, who isn't flashy so will probably be overlooked.

[SamH]

Great win for OKC last night, coming back from 16 down in the last few minutes, 8 down in the last 2. Don't often see that! Then going on to win in overtime.

Is anyone else enjoying the Nets ongoing implosion? What a mess!

[voise]

Oct 29, 2022 1:39:36 GMT @casualhook said:

On the plus side after I said Jeremy had struggled in his early games he has been so much better, 2-3 from deep tonight and has looked really good these last 2.5 games

I really think this is one of the biggest stories in British sports let alone British basketball and it's still barely mentioned.
Relatively undiscussed in prep school, picked up by the NCAA national champs. Starting only 1 of 30 games for Baylor he was drafted in the top 10 and at age 19 has started every game for the Spurs so far (youngest ever spurs starter). He's now playing at a high level on offence and defence and looks set to threaten a few triple doubles as a Rookie. He has arguably already made the most impact in the NBA as a brit, given his age and the contribution he is making to the Spurs. Just wow Jeremy. You deserve all the props.

[SamH]

I think he'll have to get to Luol Deng levels before the British media take interest, sadly.

[milehigh]

He isn't British, his parents are Polish and American, he was born in the USA and has chosen to represent Poland, so I fail to see how it can be said he is British.

[tallerman]

He lived in Britain for most of his life, was taught the game in England, played for England, calls himself British and polish. He's British whether you see it or not

[SamH]

I thought he identified as both polish and British? Not sure which national team he'd choose to play for, has he said Poland?

Deng was the same, born in Sudan and lived in was it Egypt for a while? But grew up most of his life in the UK, hence he identifies and is legally able to call himself British.

[milehigh]

I would be very surprised if he qualified for a British Passport or citizenship.

He has played for the Polish national team, not the action of someone who identifies as British!

[tallerman]

Ive lived in England my whole life, my dad is scottish, if I were to qualify for a national team through sport I'd represent Scotland.

[Deleted]

Oct 30, 2022 14:15:54 GMT milehigh said:

I would be very surprised if he qualified for a British Passport or citizenship.

He has played for the Polish national team, not the action of someone who identifies as British!

I’m pretty sure he would qualify for one, although maybe not now because he has moved to America but before he left I’m sure he would’ve been able to, he’s on record as saying he wanted help from basketball England to help get him a British passport so he could play for GB but it never happened so he chose Poland from his reasons

It’s a pointless argument anyway because he lived here for pretty much all of his life and as said above he learned the game from the ground up here, and probably stayed in this country more than half of the GB national team did

[Deleted]

People never seem to have a problem with Akwasi Yeboah being a British basketball player

[SamH]

So on the Nets imploding, Kyrie Irving has hit a new low, spreading anti semitism messages and refusing to back down from it. I'm amazed the NBA hasn't suspended him yet. Adam Silver himself is Jewish, not that it should matter but you'd think he'd have even more reason to act on this.

And I thought the anti-vax stuff was his nadir. Though before that I thought his "the earth is flat" stuff was his low point. It just keeps getting worse...🫣

[Deleted]

With the new bargaining agreement soon, and the huge issues already between the 2 sides I think suspending one of the most popular players in the league among his peers is something the league will really want to avoid

We’re heading for a lockout imo

[SamH]

Probably, there seems to be a lockout every 10-12 years or so. Really annoying.

I have to disagree that Irving is one of the most popular players in the league among his peers though! Guy is a fruitcake, I don't think anyone likes him anymore!

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2022 23:30:29 GMT SamH said:

Probably, there seems to be a lockout every 10-12 years or so. Really annoying.

I have to disagree that Irving is one of the most popular players in the league among his peers though! Guy is a fruitcake, I don't think anyone likes him anymore!

Reggie Bullock literally came out on Twitter and said he backs Kyrie, KD was ready to leave the Nets because they wouldn’t give Kyrie what he wanted, oh and he was elected Vice President of the players association by the players

You’d be surprised how many of the league agree with Kyrie’s opinions, you think he’s the only one into this Blacks supremacist stuff?

He is without a doubt one of the most respected players in the league, whether we like it or not

[SamH]

Not sure most of them think he's great though - a few maybe but the guy says and does so many stupid things, its hard to imagine the majority of any group in society thinking he's a top guy! I think KD's request to be traded was about all the chaos at the Nets, he must have been frustrated with Kyrie missing so many games last season by not getting his vax as that hurt the team massively. Don't forget when they tried to trade Irving, no one actually wanted him apart from crap teams. That's always a telling sign when no one wants you despite being top 10 talent wise.

I agree he's respected because he's an insane talent - this generation's Isaiah Thomas in my opinion. But that doesn't mean he's not a horrible person.