New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

[Steve Williams]

This one is for WLCVA

Warriors projected to face Clippers in playoffs by ESPN real plus-minus

With the absence of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson's torn ACL and so many changes to multiple teams, the Western Conference is more wide open than ever for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season.

The Warriors' time ruling the West might have come to an end, too. Golden State lost Durant to Brooklyn and will miss Thompson's two-way play for multiple months. For these reasons, ESPN's real-plus minus has the Warriors finishing the regular season closer to the No. 8 seed than the No. 1 seed.

The projection system predicts the Warriors to be the No. 6 seed in the West. Since RPM debuted after the Warriors' first title under coach Steve Kerr, the equation has projected the Warriors to win at least 60 wins. Not anymore.

Golden State's new-look squad is projected to have just 46.5 wins by ESPN's RPM. The Warriors have won at least 57 games in each of Kerr's five years coaching the team.

According to the projection system, the Warriors will have fewer wins than the Rockets, Nuggets, Clippers, Jazz and Lakers. It has the Mavericks and Blazers rounding out the top-eight seeds, with the Kings barely missing the playoffs.

 

[jadis]

IIRC he even made it to the All Star game one year and it was all down hill after that

And he even revived his career with the Pacers after that, played a 'resounding' first game and had me even perked up as the Pacers needed everything in their battle with the Heat, then suddenly, Bynum decided he wanted to be lethargic and malinger again.

 

[Steve Williams]

I had such hope for the Lakers the year they signed Dwight and everyone was calling the Lakers to win it all.IIRC they absolutely stunk as Nash went down and Kobe began to fade.

I have followed the Lakers since the 70's and in that time IMHO the only great Centers they had in that time was Kareem and Shaq

 

[Steve Williams]

The Who's Who of this years freshman class.

Who is the kid picked 2nd only 8% behind Zion?

https://www.nba.com/2019-20-nba-rookie-survey

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

I had such hope for the Lakers the year they signed Dwight and everyone was calling the Lakers to win it all.IIRC they absolutely stunk as Nash went down and Kobe began to fade.

I have followed the Lakers since the 70's and in that time IMHO the only great Centers they had in that time was Kareem and Shaq

What about Wilt the Stilt

 

[jadis]

Warriors' Klay Thompson will return 'late next season,' father Mychal says

Monte Poole
NBC Sports BayArea•Aug 19, 2019, 11:06 PM


https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-klay-thompson-return-next-150618642.html

 

[GSOphile]

Looking at the projected effect of injuries to stars prior to season start, it would appear that injuries to stars during the season are likely to have an outsized effect on the Western Conference - especially since many of these teams seem to have traded depth for stars, either new or retained.

 

[Steve Williams]

What about Wilt the Stilt

Totally agree but he was before my time

 

[Steve Williams]

Warriors' Klay Thompson will return 'late next season,' father Mychal says

Monte Poole
NBC Sports BayArea•Aug 19, 2019, 11:06 PM


https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-klay-thompson-return-next-150618642.html

Let's just say "possible" but not "probable".

 

[Steve Williams]

consensus seems to be against signing Howard (as I breathe a big sigh of relief)

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=27420865

 

[Steve Williams]

Darn. This is now looking more than "due diligence"

Reports: Lakers to work out Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, Marreese Speights
Los Angeles looking to evaluate veteran centers to fill roster spot left by DeMarcus Cousins

https://www.nba.com/article/2019/08/20/reports-lakers-work-out-howard-noah-speights

I did like Speights when he played for the Warriors

 

[WLVCA]

ESPN has a new 5 part podcast about the man formerly known as the worst owner in sports, Donald Sterling. Thank goodness Steve Ballmer bought the team.

Don't know about you guys, but it will be interesting to me. Curious to see if there is any new information or if it is a re-hash of the same old stuff.

https://30for30podcasts.com/sterling/

EDIT - listened to half of the first episode. Seems to be the same old stuff.

 

[WLVCA]

There was one interesting tidbit early in episode 2. When Jerry Buss was buying the Lakers, Kings and the Forum from Jack Kent Cooke, Buss was short of cash as the closing date approached. Buss' assets were tied up in real estate at the time. Sterling helped Buss as the closing date approached by buying 11 buildings from him in Santa Monica. So, Donald Sterling was instrumental in helping Buss buy the Lakers as Cooke had told Buss there was no deal if he didn't have the cash.

 

[Steve Williams]

I saw that podcast. You had to pay for it though and Donald Sterling isnt worth it IMO

 

[WLVCA]

This one is free - 5 episodes, audio only. Ramona Shelburne is narrating.

 

[Steve Williams]

This one is free - 5 episodes, audio only. Ramona Shelburne is narrating.

Yes that's the one. I looked again. My mistake. I just didn't want to listen to anything about him

 

[WLVCA]

Yes that's the one. I looked again. My mistake. I just didn't want to listen to anything about him

If I wasn't a Clipper fan I wouldn't spend that much time listening to it either. Not sure why ESPN decided to explore this topic again 5 years after the fact.

 

[jadis]

"Shoutathon". Now that is a funny but accurate description of the show. And it's going to be really noisy when he joins the studio for the games.

Report: Stephen A. Smith to join ESPN's studio coverage for NBA games

Smith is a busy man, hosting the network’s morning shoutathon “First Take” alongside Max Kellerman and anchor Molly Qerim.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ste...-studio-coverage-for-nba-games-020853369.html

 

[Steve Williams]

Noah Makes The Most Sense........Anyone but Dwight...

Lakers begin search for Cousins' replacement

https://www.nba.com/video/2019/08/21/20190820-gametime-lakers-cousins-replacement

 

[Steve Williams]

"Shoutathon". Now that is a funny but accurate description of the show. And it's going to be really noisy when he joins the studio for the games.

Report: Stephen A. Smith to join ESPN's studio coverage for NBA games

Smith is a busy man, hosting the network’s morning shoutathon “First Take” alongside Max Kellerman and anchor Molly Qerim.

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ste...-studio-coverage-for-nba-games-020853369.html

Stephen A will be loud, that's for sure