Topic: 2019 NBA Pre-Season - page 311. (Read 914618 times)

Eastern Conference starters
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Joel Embiid
Jayson Tatum
Tyrese Haliburton
Damian Lillard

Western Conference starters
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Nikola Jokic
Luka Doncic
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Source: https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-all-star-starters-announced

Finally, 2024 NBA All-Star starters announced. Almost all players are expected picks except maybe Lillard-Brunson. Trae Young fan rank was also too high but media and players didn't pick him that high. I think fan votes should have higher weight for starters. The game is played for fans in the end.

Since Indiana Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam, they've been into losses. That's to be expected as there's not going to be easy chemistry with every transfer.

If the coach and the players aren't agreeing in many things, the management have to step on it. But at the same time, both of these people can be professional on their jobs.

And if still not working on, the team itself is going to be affected a lot and that's why the management has resorted with that solution.

There were question marks whether Alperen could get this much playing time if he moved to another team, but now he has proven himself. If there is a trade, he can get enough playing time in any team, he has become one of the rising stars of the league. Houston is fighting for a place in the play-in pot. If it wasn't for Alperen, they would have returned to the lottery team. Yesterday's defeat to Portland is truly incredible, but this result showed the team's shortcomings. They need more than the individual performances of Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün to win matches.

Luka is a great player but that is his downfall.  When he doesn't get the results he wants he gets easily frustrated.  That fan stuff happens all the time.  He was so worried that at a timeout he talked with security.  The fan won, Luka was off his game.  That happens all over the place.  If he had that kobe dog fight in him Luka would be the best player in the league.  But he gets too rattled.  Maybe with age that will go away.

The Dallas Mavericks aren't working well together. They need to focus on defense and rebounding instead of just relying on 3-point shooters. I think they need to take trades for players who can score and play defense. Depending on individual players like Luka, Lively or Maxi won't cut it. The team is slipping in the standings 8th in the West right now. Maybe it's time for changes for Dallas, including possibly switching up the coaching staff and making trades before the deadline just like Bucks did about hiring Doc River as their new Coach.

Going back to the Dallas and Phoenix game, Luka was noticeably frustrated. This was evident on the court when he had a fan kicked out for telling him to get on a treadmill, but also after the game when being asked about it by the media. It’s nice to see Booker get a win over him. Luka has had his number the last few years.

Doc Rivers is Doc rivers. Finding an NBA champion coach is always something teams wants to do, and not like they were bad enough that they should have fired their manager, it makes sense to keep the manager if they feel like it, but Bud was decent too and yet they parted ways.

Well, the main reason why Bud left was because Bud's brother died, and he wanted to take a break, which is understandable, but it's fine. I think Doc Rivers has been a decent head coach for a long time now, for over 20+ years, and he has a title, so the fact that he would be hired by many teams, teams that have good squads, is a common thing. This is why they are doing this change, they believe that he could be the type of head coach that can bring them a ring.

Everyone got surprised with what happened with Adrian Griffin, but I think it has something to do with the players-coach connection since the Milwaukee Bucks front office mentioned about him not being the right man for the job, so most likely the decision was influenced by the players disliking their head coach for some reason.
On the other hand, coach Doc Rivers was a great coach leading the Celtics to a championship a decade ago, but after that, he had been a terrible coach who's now popular for blowing up a playoff lead and couldn't even reach the finals with a super team. Well, let's see if he can redeem himself with this Bucks super team, I think they're better than the Lob City Clippers and the Sixers a couple of years ago. Adrian Griffin put them 2nd in the East with .705 percentage, It is to be expected that Doc Rivers might do better as he already had enough experience handling a team with multiple superstars.

They have a strong start but things were different in the 2nd quarter and up. Mavericks having a not 100% Luka and missing Irving is a big problem against a hot streaking Phoenix Suns. It could either be Durant or Booker who gets hot, they are unpredictable, and despite their tight schedule they are still winning games.

Based on the standing now, Dallas is on a 3 losing streak while the Phoenix Suns are on a 7 wining streak. Dallas next oppenent against the Hawks, streak should be over that time. While Suns will be up in a battle against the Pacers, I think streak will be over too for the Suns.

It was a fun game although we could see the Luka Doncic is forcing it. His back tightness is still there and sometimes he looks like he is laboring. If only Grant Williams was not thrown out, it might have been a better fight. All the fouls and technical fouls called by the referees are frustrating the Dallas Mavericks and it was an eyesore for such an entertaining matchup.
Before, it was Luka versus Booker trash-talking, now it's KD versus Doncic.   I loved the competitive spirit.
Despite what the referee did, I still enjoyed the first half of the game. The Mavs really had a good start and Timmy was all fired up in the three-point line. But as soon as the Suns find their rhythm and make a good run, everything goes south for the Mavs.
I forgot to bet. After that 1st half, my instincts tell me to bet for the Suns because of the foul trouble that is lurking in the Mavs team, especially with their big men. Sadly, I was doing something else and when I checked the score, the Suns was already up and it's a risk betting for a minus for the Suns spreads that deep.
Anyway, I am also glad about Luka's sportsmanship. He will still shake hands with anyone despite everything that happened in the game.

In this game we saw once again why Alperen Sengun should leave Houston. Having him on a team with guys with low IQ will never bring him success. In fact, Houston was his chance at first until he got to the next level, but now it's his misfortune. Sengun actually took responsibility at the end of the game like a star would and even succeeded, but he is a member of an inept team that couldn't defend one last possession and took the game to overtime.

Sengun was his team's most reliable hand in the final period. Portland hit a 3 with 1.6 seconds left against Houston to send the game to overtime. This is normal in the NBA, but Houston players missed back to back empty 3s in overtime. They are garbage in clutch moments. The opponent is Portland, one of the teams at the bottom of the league. If we can't win a game where Sengun did everything and came close to a triple double, it will hurt the player's psychology.

That's for sure, Giannis even force the management to trade some of their players to get Lillard, so he has really a say to influence the decision of the GM or the owner. Maybe they are following what Lebron did when he influenced the manage to fire David Blatte in the middle of the season and afterwards they won a championship. Maybe this time the Bucks will win a championship again and Doc Rivers name will be at the top of the conversation again.

Maybe we can say that Giannis has something to do with it. But I guess in defense, Adrian said that they are still to experiment things around as this is a complete new team. Not defending the coach here, but if Giannis says that, then he could be instrumental of the removal of Griffin and then hiring Doc Rivers to say the least.

And obviously if we see teams that are not doing, the first person that is going his head roll is the coach. That happened to Rivers, when he was the head coach of the Sixers and they keep on choking on the playoff even with big lead. So I guess it's cyclical.

I think Bucks players especially Giannis are not happy with his coaching, we may not see in the stats because the stats are great, but this article might shed some light on what really is happening inside.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/columnist/jeff-zillgitt/2024/01/23/adrian-griffin-fired-reasons-milwaukee-bucks/72328707007/

^^ What weaknesses do you think they saw though? I mean they are in the winning percentage almost on top of the East and we can say that he is doing good as he put the team in that position. We will understand, if they are below .500 and we can say that they need to fire their coach, they have a bad offense and the system is not working. But as fans or even non-fans of NBA or any other sports will likely be surprise if a coach is fired with a winning percentage in the middle of the season. So I don't know, Doc Rivers might be their coach that could bring them another ring, but we will have to see, if they indeed make the best decision or not.

I don't know mate. I think the Bucks management are smarter than our analysis, as they would not make a decision firing a coach just to hire Doc Rivers. Maybe they see something that we didn't, so let's just watch and observe, if it will not work, then it's time to criticize them.

Last game they were impressive, they beat the streaking Cavaliers. So I see that the Bucks are more talented this season as Giannis is still playing at a high level while Lillard plays his role well too.


Honestly I am not so surprise that the coach was fired. I didn't think he'll be fired though but I saw some weakness on their games, and I think that's what the management of the Bucks saw as well. They don't want to waste a healthy Giannis and Lillard's season for nothing.

If they didn't get much good result for what system currently have then its better decision to change their coach since they don't get satisfying result for their campaign. And might they can get more better if they got a experienced coach that can handle well their current talent studded roster.

I'm not saying the coach is bad since he's still great for bringing Bucks on top 2 on the east but maybe their management is expecting a lot on their current roster especially Lillard has been added on their team that's why they decide to do big decision on their team. Rivers is great coach to have so if they really make him sign to coach their team let see if he can bring some good changes to their team.

This is what Lakers should do to since their coach is really inconsistent and don't have any adjustment made that's why Lakers keep losing this season.

They’re pulling out all the stops in order to try and keep Giannis around. I think more people think he’s going to leave when his contract is up than those who think he’ll stay. The Bucks have to do something. They got Dame and now a new coach… They got his brother on the team… They’d probably sign his Mom to the cheerleading staff if he asked.

Firing a head coach in the middle of the regular season seems like a questionable idea. Personally, I get the impression that the Bucks management is making hasty moves that could potentially worsen the team's results. Don't get me wrong, Doc Rivers is a great coach with championship experience, but I don't think Griffin deserves to be treated like this. The Bucks management should have given him a chance to stay with the team, at least through the end of this regular season.

The decision to bring in Coach Doc Rivers has the potential to be a game-changer for the team, particularly in addressing their defensive shortcomings. While the offensive stats demonstrate an impressive performance, ranking 2nd with a 124.6 average per game, the team's Achilles' heel lies in its defense. Doc Rivers, renowned for his coaching prowess, notably led the Celtics to a reputation as a defensive powerhouse in the past the hiring of Rivers reflects a strategic move to shore up the defensive end, drawing on his expertise in cultivating a strong defensive identity for teams. The stats may underline offensive prowess, but a well-rounded team requires a balance between scoring and solid defense for sustained success in the NBA,

However, the intriguing question remains can Doc Rivers maintain the impressive offensive rating, or even enhance it further? Balancing offensive and defensive strategies is a delicate task, and how Rivers navigates this challenge will play a crucial role in the team's overall performance. As the season progresses, fans and analysts alike will closely watch the impact of Rivers' coaching philosophy on both ends of the court.


A valuable skill, may not fully capitalize on the potential synergy between Clarkson and Markkanen. Advocating a return to the old strategy, where Clarkson's penetrating ability is harnessed to make him a playmaker, could enhance the team's offensive dynamics. A notable highlight was when Clarkson secured a triple-double, showcasing his capacity to contribute across various facets of the game, the team's success often hinges on effective ball movement, as witnessed in the past. Despite a recent loss to the Pelicans, anticipated given the Jazz's struggle on the road and the Pelicans seeking redemption, the focus is on a resilient comeback. The upcoming game against the struggling Wizards presents an opportunity to reset and showcase their capabilities,

The stark reality of the Jazz's road record, standing at 7 - 17, casts a shadow over their aspirations. Acknowledging this subpar performance on away games is a crucial step towards addressing the team's overall consistency. The upcoming matchups, particularly against struggling teams like the Wizards, become pivotal in reshaping the narrative and steering the Jazz back on the path to success. The record is undeniably a source of frustration for fans, encapsulated in the poignant descriptor, Sad.