i'm no medical expert.. but why would a guy need surgery for something that is "just a sprain"?
if he needs surgery it is highly probable some structure in Smart's hand has some type of fracture.

at this point it is clear Boston does not want to say exactly what part of Smart's hand is fucked. Unfortunately for Boston, I think the term "upper body injury" is not allowed in the NBA.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 13 2018 04:08 GMT

#2603

The San Antonio Spurs are now in 10th place.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 14 2018 01:44 GMT

#2604

with 2 minutes left and the game finally in the bag for the Raptors ..everyone on the Raptors tonight is between -7 and +10.

except Fred VanVleet.. he is +29.

Vindicare605

United States16071 Posts

March 14 2018 05:33 GMT

#2605

I don't know if you guys bothered to watch this game, but the Lakers vs Nuggets @Staples Center was one of the best games I've seen in a long while. I haven't heard Staples get that loud since Kobe's last game.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 14 2018 15:10 GMT

#2606

in general, the entertainment level of the average NBA game is very high; Denver is a good team and fighting for its life... so its an impressive win by the Lakers.

andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

March 14 2018 17:35 GMT

#2607

The Lakers don't have a draft pick so they're not joining the tankathon.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 14 2018 18:33 GMT

#2608

around the time Butler got injured i stated Wiggins shooting % would go up in Butler's absence. i also stated on reddit at the time of the Butler injury that the Teague//Butler//Wiggins//Gibson//KAT line up has less synergy than the Teague//Wigg//Belly//Taj//Kat starting line up. Obviously, the former has more pure talent than the latter....

now there is this...

the bottom line is that Wiggins inefficiency as a scorer does not warrant him being any higher than #3 behind Butler and KAT... in fact i'd argue that KAT deserves even more of the offense running through him.

Klay Thompson, fractured thumb, to be re-evaluated in 1 week.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22762228/klay-thompson-golden-state-warriors-miss-2-weeks-fractured-thumb

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

March 14 2018 21:28 GMT

#2609

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andrewlt

United States7702 Posts

March 14 2018 22:13 GMT

#2610

On March 15 2018 06:28 JimmiC wrote:

Show nested quote +

This is the reason they need to fix the lottery, teams trying to tank, as they should with the current set of rules, make for shitty games. Whereas even if the worse teams play to win/get better you can get great basketball.

They're already reducing the chances that the worst teams get the best picks. This is the last year under the old odds. The chances of them doing anything more drastic is slim. Cause we all know how whiny certain small market teams are.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

March 14 2018 22:44 GMT

#2611

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cLutZ

United States19574 Posts

March 14 2018 22:46 GMT

#2612

The changes they made just made tanking worse. Should go to the NFL system.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

March 14 2018 23:19 GMT

#2613

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JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 14 2018 23:23 GMT

#2614

i prefer a system something like what the NHL used right after the 2005 strike. its too radical so they'll never try it.

Stevens provided some info on Smart's injured thumb.
TL;DR: it ain't good.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22763623/marcus-smart-boston-celtics-miss-rest-season-per-coach-brad-stevens

i feel bad for any San Antonio fans that got suckered into buying tickets for Thursday thinking Leonard was going to play. Based on Pop's latest "when his medical guys clear him" it is evident the Spurs' and Leonard's "medical team" do not see eye-to-eye on this.

Fred Van Vleet's huge +/- in the Nets game i noted in a previous post also caught the eye of a leading Adjusted Plus/Minus researcher.

cLutZ

United States19574 Posts

March 14 2018 23:41 GMT

#2615

On March 15 2018 08:19 JimmiC wrote:
What is your logic there? NFL is well known for tanking

#1 No the NFL is not.

#2. All the lottery does is prolong tanks because sometimes teams get boned.

Let's be honest, it doesn't matter what Phoenix's chance of getting the #1 pick is if they finish last. Whether it is 100% or 5%, its their only viable team building strategy for ever having a chance to win 55 games and make the conference finals.

JimmiC

Canada22817 Posts

March 15 2018 00:57 GMT

#2616

--- Nuked ---

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 15 2018 01:12 GMT

#2617

in the 2018 InfoWars between Shams and Woj.. this one goes to Shams..
According to the Celtics' team DR: Smart has a ligament tear.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/03/marcus_smart_celtics_await_second_opinion_on

it looked like Shams was correct at the start.. but now its confirmed. No idea why the Celtics tried to tell the media it was a sprain.

JimmyJRaynor

Canada16711 Posts

March 15 2018 02:35 GMT

#2618

Fun game between Boston and Washington tonight.

maybe Jason Kidd isn't such a bad coach after all...

EDIT: all those Celtics fans that gave up and left are missing double overtime

cLutZ

United States19574 Posts

March 15 2018 21:13 GMT

#2619

On March 15 2018 09:57 JimmiC wrote:

Suck for luck was a famous campaign and every year they start doing it. The only difference is in basketball one player can make a far bigger difference because 5 players on court and they play both offense and defense.

Suck for Luck was a media meme. In that draft #1 was the Colts who were a paper thin org that had lost a top 3 QB in NFL history without being able to even replace his salary cap. #2 was inept Washington which wasn't even trying to be bad.

On March 15 2018 09:57 JimmiC wrote:
TO only had 1 first overall and that was Bargani, they have built there team differently. How many first overalls has GS had? Hou? When Bos was winning titles did they have 1st over all pick? How about the lakers? The heat?

First overall is the Goal, but 1st overall is not necessary for tanking to work. Toronto and Houston are probably the best possible examples, but my question is: Are you banking on being as smart as them? HAHAHAHAHAHA.Are you going to change your city into LA? I think not. Heck, if everyone was as smart as them, and in sweet locations, lottery luck would end up being the only differentiation between teams, so in all scenarios where you aren't top 5 smartest teams, tanking is often needed.

Even looking at your other 2 examples.

Warriors: Steph was a lottery pick, Klay was a lottery pick, Barnes Lottery, and they got Bogut in a trade from a lottery pick.

Boston: Celtics traded a lottery pick for Ray Allen. In any case, if they were lucky enough to pick Durant in that draft their team would have been even better, for longer.

Heat: Wade Top Draft pick.

On March 15 2018 09:57 JimmiC wrote:
I'm not saying there is not merit to the Strat right now, but thinking that last overall gaurantee's first pick will some how reduce it makes 0 sense, it increases the incentive.

I disagree. I think the incentive is there in all systems where losing can give you even a tiny (5%) advantage at getting a great pick.

On March 15 2018 09:57 JimmiC wrote:
I would like to see a lottery where all the teams who miss the playoffs have an almost even chance and slightly more to the teams with better records. Then teams will have incentive to win and no team will get SO awful on purpose so it takes 3 or more firsts to even be relevant. Not to mention it makes the league more top heavy since teams are actively trading their talent to get worse.

I think this will actually just end up making the league more top heavy as a team that narrowly misses the playoffs due to injury will end up getting a sick pick. Like the Bulls did with DRose. Had they had better management and gotten Lebron or Bosh instead of Boozer that is another great team.

Now, the whole point that I am saying is its a philosophy. IMO the philosophy works. Look, Lebron would never have been in CLE, nor returned, had he not been drafted by the Cavs. The OKC management has proven, over time, to be fairly retarded, yet they made a finals and several WCFs merely because of draft luck. Those teams would not have reached the playoffs ever if their management had tried to "outsmart" the league.

Do you know what Houston or Toronto looks like when run be "good but not great" gms? Charlotte. Detroit. Brooklyn (when they traded for KG). Not only are those teams bad, they have no hope to be good for 4+ years. At least when you tank you have a chance as a dumb team (and if you are a smart team that strategically tanks you become the Spurs or the Warriors). Dumb teams that try to play the smart team game just die horrible deaths.