Topic: 2019 NBA Pre-Season - page 2. (Read 917074 times)

Boston just won by 3 points, enough to cover the spread. Honestly, I was a bit doubtful about betting on Celtics , I thought it might be a trap.

The Celtics started strong in this game, but the Wolves made a comeback, making it an exciting match. That said, I have to admit the Wolves don’t seem like a dominant team anymore, especially since they gave up KAT. Though Randle is producing good numbers, but talking about impact, I haven't seen it to be very positive.

And Zion for sure is very frustrated on how his career has turn when he go up in pro. Just shows though that NBA is very different from college basketball and you really need to be discipline and take care of your health. Zion might have the genetics, but still if you don't the complete package, mentality and physically, you wont' last in the league and not even play healthy in one season.

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Great game between the Celtics and the Wolves though, it was very close game in the first half but then Celtics took a league in the 3rd. But the Wolves keeps coming back. And it boils down to the last second of the game, ANT though missed a tying 3 that could have forced the game into OT.

And Shams is right after all, he is the first to tweet about Butler's wanting to get out of Miami and then Pat Riley tries to shoot down that noise. But it seems inevitable, with this kind of statement and body language it could be bound to happen.

I'm not sure what teams are courting Butler or what teams are interested. But this trade could happen before the trade deadline this February. And for sure, there are a lot of teams that are willing to take Butler and became their franchise player.

Pat Riley can say whatever he wants about Jimmy Butler’s future, but I think he’s as good as gone and it won’t be long before a trade is announced. He basically said he hates playing basketball for the Heat and he wants to be happy again somewhere else. Pat Riley must be pissed right now. He doesn’t tolerate this type of behavior and Butler doesn’t gaf. This might be interesting.

https://x.com/worldwidewob/status/1875017553002872976

Agree to that, Jokic really maximizing WB and with how they are playing the game that kind of trust is what WB needs to accelerate his game, like what you both said he's fit with the system and his level of support gave him that confidence again to play well, with WB it not only Jokic and Jamal but they are now a complete packages of supporting role stars that will finished their offense.

It's good that he's redeeming himself again after that disappointing stint in Lakers where his performance massively declined. He has been a big help when he's on the Clippers as a bench player though it wasn't enough. Now he's a starter on the Nuggets, and in his last 10 games, he's averaging 14 PPG and 7 APG.

Jokic and Murray are their big 2 still and we can say that Westbrook is helping the team in any way that he sees fit, and in this case, it's passing. He doesn't need to score that many points to help the team as they have many scorers like Jokic, Murray, MPJ, but he can help them even more in assisting his teammates. Nevertheless, the Nuggets obviously won on this gamble of them, and they're paying him an almost veteran minimum as well so it's not a burden for them in terms of salary.

That's the most important for Westbrook. How can he maintain this kind of performance that he's playing because like you said, he's performing pretty well in his last games. On the flip side though, as much as I want to praise Westbrook and the Nuggets right now, I still don't see them as a title contenders for this season just because of how trash their bench is. They're 29th right now in offense (Spurs being the worst), and if you want to win a title, you must give importance to your bench as well.

They are really promising together with his new team, but its really early to tell that they are successful with getting him in Nuggets roster. If they could able to reach on playoffs or maybe even more better advance on the second round this time people will not argue that the trade Nuggets made to acquire Westbrook is really a good one.

But kodus to those guys helping Westbrook to build up his confidence and we can see that he's really doing good in his new team. Curious to know if this current roster they have is capable to reach on finals or even win championship this season.

I agree.

He fits to the roster and plays well together with Jokic. It seems that the Jokic-Murray tandem has been covered up by something new and that's with Jokic-Westbrook.

Despite the pay difference and the adjustment that Russell has to do, we've got a better Westbrook here and like a newborn man.

Westbrook in last couple seasons has been really bad and now since he came to Denver, it’s like a completely new new player. I think that he can do a lot more for the team and the team is getting used to him and he paired up with Jokić really great. Westbrook had a lot of criticism in last couple of years in Lakers and so on, but since he came here, he is simply on fire and I think he can do a lot more for the team. Denver is a good overall Team and the pairing of Jokic and Westbrook will be even better with the season going on

Yes, and I thought that this game is going to be close, but Jokic and Westbrook is on a different combination. It's like Pau Gasol and Kobe who can just talk with their eyes and knows where each one will go to score. And we all know that Westbrook has high basketball IQ as once he was really dominating the NBA with his triple double. So he can just drop pass to Jokic and to anyone when he attacks the rim.


And it's really good to see MPJ as well getting back his rhythm. So I guess no more back spasm for him as his form his great. And it's all about their mentality right now, every piece of the puzzle will have to make a perfect fit including Westbrook as the newest member of the Nuggets.

I’m not quite ready to declare the Westbrook to Denver experiment a success yet, but their recent play does have me leaning in that direction. We’ll see if Westbrook can keep up this style of play without costing the Nuggets some wins. Right now it is looking like they got a steal on signing Westbrook. Time will tell.

Denver Nuggets really are a team! Everyone plays and scores and this duo Jokic/Westbrook is looking really good. For the first time i seen a team that had 2 triple doubles in the same match and now its like Jokic gets a triple double and Westbrook get a double double. Also in this match to see seven players score 10+ points is insane and Denver is slowly picking up tempo and getting those wins

No one talking about Jaden Ivey here? Is it because Detroit Piston is trash team? lol just kidding. Jaden Ivey got season ending injury. He got broken fibula. The injury happened in the fourth quarter when Ivey collided Magic guard Cole Anthony while chasing loose ball. Cole Anthony fall onto Ivey's leg caused an awkward bend, leading to the fracture.
Ref: https://nypost.com/2025/01/01/sports/pistons-jaden-ivey-stretchered-off-after-brutal-leg-injury/

Detroit Piston is doing very well this season compared last season. And now this happens. Ivey is Averaging 17 points per game.

It seems like they’ve become so unpredictable now, especially with Westbrook playing so well. The Murray-Jokic combo, which used to be the main focus, isn’t the same anymore since Westbrook joined the picture. Plus, other guys are stepping up, especially MPJ, as you mentioned. He’s more aggressive now, not just relying on his outside shooting, even though his percentage in that area is high. Being tall and athletic, he should definitely attack more, and it’s paying off.

It's true, they are indeed building some chemistry and I can sometimes see that they have a simple eye-to-eye contact and a play will suddenly be a successful one. These two are both good passers and since WB likes attacking the paint, he will easily absorb the defense which makes Jokic free to score.

MPJ seems to be finding his three-point range too after some awful games in early December, then there's Christian Braun who had always been helpful on both ends of the floor. This is the simple recipe for the Nuggets to win games and even blow out their opponents. If they will all follow their roles then it's difficult to stop them like what they did against the Hawks. WB is a bonus for them.

Just remember how AD was when hes still with the NP though he's more healtier and capable to help them playing up to playoffs unlike with Zion he's been a liability eversince, can't complete or help any season, but who knows when he get traded, whoever wanted him still might have plans for his health and for his career, it's a matter how both sides will help each other.

Adjustments for both Zion and the management if ever the trade materialize, else, there's nothing left for him and he's just waiting for his contract to expire then retire his jersey after.

I guess that happen because of his weight. If he just listen to his coach and nutritionist to lose weight then be consistent with it, he would provably lessen up those injuries he get. Right now he's career is starting to get doomed and those injuries is stopping him to reach his potential.

To bad for him for experiencing that, also for believing that he provably be the next LBJ since right now at his current condition it seems that its hard to happen. Maybe he will decline without reaching those potential what people expect him to deliver.

But let's say that he had played, he could be a 25 points 10 rebounds and 5 assists player. So probably above and we could say that he is one of the superstar and could live up to the hype when he entered the league 5 years ago. But since he has problems with his weight and it seems that he can't control it, those numbers are just a pigment of imagination, lots of what if, specially if you're a Pelican fans and really cling on the thoughts that he will be a great player and who knows what he can bring to the city.

Right now? those injuries are not going to help him out and I do not think that he can make a turn around as it has been 5 years already and he hasn't shown sign that he can play full 82 games in a season. Just poor work ethic, weight issues, are not a great sign that he will make a huge comeback.

I can only imagine the hype of Zion years ago, as if he has the second coming of Lebron James, very athletic, can pass and dribble the ball for a thunderous dunk.

And if can't play then there is no other options from the Pelicans but to rebuilt and accept that fact that their number player and supposedly the one that can bring them to at least playoff is a bust and that they will have to let go of him.

Good thing is that I read that there are a lot of teams still interested on his talent. Maybe they will have Zion on a different approach or hire someone that will focus more on his health and physically to at least give him going if other teams acquire him. And if I'm going to compare him, could be the likes of Amare Stoudemire, very athletic but there are seasons that he is not healthy at all. But during his prime he was a force inside.

Zion is a talented and promising player, but players like him are too prone to various injuries and usually play in the NBA for a relatively short period. By the way, Zion has never played a full season for his short career in the NBA, i.e. there was not a single season in which he participated in all 82 games. Can he play at least 10 seasons in the NBA while getting injured all the time? I doubt it.