2023-2024 NBA season

[Pooker]

Yeah, I don't think the East is as foregone as a lot of people think it is. Heat, Bucks, or 76er could easily make a run for it. And the West will be such a bloodbath, that whoever comes out of the East could win the Finals.

[LL!]

If the Heat can get their offense as consistent as they usually do during the playoffs you can't count us out, but this season has been full of inconsistency at offense. So we'll see...

[DMN in the House]

Probably going to end up facing the Nuggets. Might as well do it in the first round, had LBJ and AD at the healthiest they'll be in the playoffs. If the Lakers can somehow get past them, I think they have as good a chance as any team in the West to go all the way.

[Your Mom]

Going to try and follow the Sky way more than I have this year. Draft is about to start and we have the 3rd pick!

[GhostMachine]

I do not exactly think its time to anoint the Celtics yet. But if all the other East teams, the Knicks are the least likely to beat them. Because they're the Knicks.

[Your Mom]

Even the Bulls have a better shot??  

[The Buscher]

4 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Going to try and follow the Sky way more than I have this year. Draft is about to start and we have the 3rd pick!

The 2020 recruiting class was pretty transformative.  Of the top 5 players in it you had Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Kamilla Cardoso going in the top 3 of the draft 4 years later with Angel Reese 7th.  Paige Bueckers, had she declared, would've been in the top 2 most likely.

Not too many recruiting classes where the top names all completely lived up to the hype in college.  Hopefully they all see success at the next level and get some more exposure for the league.

[DMN in the House]

BRB, gonna go re-enact the plot of Celtic Pride with Nikola Jokić.

[The Buscher]

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Hope he put some money on that outcome.

[Pooker]

I heard that the press release announcing his ban was sponsored by DraftKings.

Crazy to see the Warriors knocked out yesterday and that it possibly could have been Klay's last game with them. Honestly, he needs to take a bench role, 15-20 minutes a game, and just become a spot shooter. Especially if he wants to be effective come playoff time.

[Chris2K]

There was something funny about how the Sixers were playing like garbage until two missed Heat free-throws won the whole arena free chicken, and that somehow made the team wake up and they went on a tear.

The Bulls/Hawks result seemed like winning to get a chance to lose to the Heat, but Butler may be out which opens things up a bit. Not that he did much of note during the regular season, so maybe the Heat will be fine without him.

[LL!]

Butler being out is it for the Heat I think. RIP

[Pooker]

Same for the Pelicans and missing Zion. It's possible for them, but I don't see it happening against a healthy Kings team.

[Chris2K]

Because I have a deadly combination of free time, a border-line crippling dose of social anxiety, and a bizarre love of statistics, I've spent all season doing my own daily stats to find my own MVP based purely on statistics and visibility.

Every player who plays more than 15 minutes in a game gets a score. The score is based mainly on the standard box score statistics, but there are extra bonus points for having the highest score on the team, and the highest score in the match, as well as getting a score over 50, 100 and 150. For every day there are higher bonus points for getting the highest score of the day, the highest score per minutes played, the most points, the most assists, the most rebounds and the combined highest steals and blocks.

I won't bore you with any more details, but here are the top 10 players with the highest overall score for the season:

1. Nikola Jokic - 994.9
2. Luka Doncic - 992.81
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo - 885.81
4. Anthony Davis - 628.15
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 613.63
6. Joel Embiid - 575
7. Victor Wembanyama - 558.18
8. Damontas Sabonis - 525.4
9. Tyrese Haliburton - 412.2
10. Jalen Brunson - 385

Most days with the most points scored - Luka Doncic
Most days with the most rebounds - Damontas Sabonis
Most days with the most assists - Tyrese Haliburton
Most days with the most blocks/steals - Victor Wembanyama
Most days with the highest score - Luka Doncic
Most days with the highest score per minute - Giannis Antetokounmpo

Jokic may not have won any of those awards, he got more player of the team and player of the game bonus points than Doncic, the last of which let him overtake Doncic on the final game when Doncic was rested by the Mavericks.

Just for my own entertainment, here's every team's leading player:

Spoiler

76ers - Joel Embiid - 575 (6th)
Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo - 885.81 (3rd)
Bulls - DeMar DeRozan - 270.5 (20th)
Cavaliers - Donovan Mitchell - 295.15 (16th)
Celtics - Jayson Tatum - 374 (11th)
Clippers - Paul George - 212.77 (27th)
Grizzlies - Jaren Jackson Jr - 176.5 (33rd)
Hawks - Trae Young - 312.85 (15th)
Heat - Bam Adebayo - 263.93 (21st)
Hornets - Miles Bridges - 157.5 (43rd)
Jazz - Lauri Markannen - 151 (46th)
Kings - Damontas Sabonis - 524.5 (8th)
Knicks - Jalen Brunson - 385 (10th)
Lakers - Anthony Davis - 628.15 (4th)
Magic - Paulo Banchero - 275 (19th)
Mavericks - Luka Doncic - 992.81 (2nd)
Nets - Cam Thomas - 146.5 (49th) (Mikal Bridges had 146)
Nuggets - Nikola Jokic - 994.9 (1st)
Pacers - Tyrese Haliburton - 412.2 (9th)
Pelicans - Zion Williamson - 196.7 (30th)
Pistons - Cade Cunningham - 172.5 (34th)
Raptors - Scottie Barnes - 197.69 (29th)
Rockets - Alperen Sengun - 222 (26th)
Spurs - Victor Wembanyama - 558.18 (7th)
Suns - Kevin Durant - 332.65 (13th)
Thunder - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 613.63 (5th)
Timberwolves - Anthony Edwards - 337 (12th)
Trail Blazers - DeAndre Ayton - 152 (45th)
Warriors - Stephen Curry - 292.5 (17th)
Wizards - Kyle Kuzma - 163.5 (40th)

 

Other notables:

LeBron James - 320.75 (14th)
Devin Booker - 285.5 (18th)
Damian Lillard - 258.35 (23rd)
DeArron Fox - 249 (24th)
Tyrese Maxey - 241.5 (25th)
Kahwi Leonard - 194 (31st)
Rudy Gobert - 169.84 (36th)
Jimmy Butler - 163.69 (39th)
Chet Holmgren - 159 (41st)
 

 

[The Buscher]

Josh Hart was on fire tonight

[Chris2K]

Well damn. Ant just showed the world what a player he is. 

[The Buscher]

Brunson is the biggest reason the Knicks got the 2 seed but he’s been ass these first two playoff games.

I never realized how much Embiid complained until this series.  It’s literally after every play.

[The Buscher]

The Knicks and Islanders gave me the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the span of 15 minutes. Wow. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

[gunnar hendershow]

The referees not giving the Sixers that timeout, I guess just due to not seeing/hearing Nurse, is a bad look for them. Don't know why they can't just give coaches a button to press when they want the timeout horn to sound.