one of the all time greats deserves his own thread.
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Thursday, 29 December 2022 17:15 (two years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsE3ZcQ25Zw
from hollinger’s column:
The thing about the NBA MVP award is that only one person can win it, which makes things a bit problematic when multiple players appear to be having MVP-caliber seasons.I wrote about this dilemma a year ago, when three players had bonkers campaigns that would have made them runaway winners in any normal year. Instead, Nikola Jokić narrowly won a second straight MVP award over Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.Granted, we’re not even halfway through the 2022-23 season yet, but this year’s MVP traffic only seems worse. To wit:Boston’s Jayson Tatum has been the best player on the league’s best team, automatically bestowing MVP equity. And this isn’t on the same level as the “You have to consider Devin Booker because the Suns won 64 games” vibe of a year ago. Tatum legitimately has a case for being the best player this time around, as a two-way menace averaging 30.9 points per game for the league’s best offense. He punctuated his candidacy with a 41-points-on 22-shots tour de force against mighty Milwaukee on Christmas.Kevin Durant has spent the past month reminding everyone how amazing he is. Durant is averaging 29.3 points on 68 percent true shooting since the beginning of November, and his defense has been on par, if not even better than his offense. The Nets have won nine straight to pass Cleveland and Philly in the standings and are breathing down the necks of Boston and Milwaukee for the top spot. At age 34, Durant has also played in 33 of Brooklyn’s 34 games and is third in the NBA in minutes.Luka Dončić is an offense unto himself for a short-handed Dallas team, one that is ninth in the NBA in offensive efficiency despite having virtually no shot-creation anywhere else on the roster. On top of his ever-widening array of tricks, feints and pivots in the basket area, Dončić has massively increased his free-throw rate in his fifth pro season while shooting a scalding 58.1 percent inside the arc. He’s third in the league in PER, second in scoring and second in BPM despite the near-constant attention from defenses.Giannis? No, he didn’t go anywhere. The Bucks superstar is fourth in scoring, leads the league in free-throw attempts and remains a monstrous presence for the league’s fifth-ranked defense despite a dip in his PER to “just” 28.1 so far.Embiid is still here too. He got off to a slow start, but quickly made up for lost time, to the point that he now leads the league in scoring. A lack of durability could again work against him – he has already missed eight games – but at his current rate, it might not matter. Embiid’s December splits are truly ridiculous: 35.9 points, 50 percent from 3, 86.4 percent from the line, 65.8 percent true shooting, more assists than turnovers and eight straight wins for the Sixers. He’s also played every game since Nov. 28.All of this would make for an amazing five-way MVP race! How we do choose?Except for one inconvenient fact … the Joker.The two-time reigning MVP is still here, clowning fools in slow motion with no-look passes, impossibly soft running floaters and all the other random cool stuff he does that seems impossible for a huge ground-bound guy until he does it.Here, have a Smitty from your opponent’s giant center:That’s from Nikola Jokić’s 41-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist triple-double against Phoenix on Christmas night, which was notable mostly for how unremarkable it seemed. He was just kind of having a regular game for him and ended up compiling these stats. At 24.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game, Jokić has an outside shot at averaging a triple-double for the season.The NBA hasn’t had an MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), and those of you suffering from Joker fatigue in the MVP vote will need to do some soul searching again this season. Jokić’s PER of 32.2 not only leads the league, but also nearly matches last season’s career high. His 12.4. BPM leads the league by a wide margin … and it’s also higher than his first MVP season.His 68.5 percent true shooting? Well, it doesn’t lead the league, but it does for medium- to high-usage players (anyone over 20 percent) and it is easily the best mark of his career. Durant is choking on his dust back at 67.3. There’s a good reason for this: Jokić has cut back sharply on taking 3s after hitting 33.7 percent a year ago, flinging them barely half as often as last year to instead move to his comfort zone from midrange. (Fun stat: Jokić is shooting 61 percent this season on midrange shots, according to Cleaning the Glass. What?!?!)His 45.7 percent assist percentage? No, that doesn’t quite lead the league. Dončić and Indiana’s Tyrese Hailburton are still slightly ahead of him. But, did I mention Jokić is a center? His rate is nearly twice that of any other five (Embiid is next at 24.4), and yes, is a career high for a player who already was cemented as the best passing big man of all time before the season tipped off.All of this would be easy to write off were it not for one other inconvenient fact: Jokić’s team is also in first place in the West at 21-11, a half game ahead of second-place New Orleans.The biggest argument against the Joker the past two years – and the biggest reason voter fatigue was likely to get in the way of a three-peat – was that the Nuggets were good, but not among the league’s elite, winning 47 and 48 games, respectively. Well, what now? What if they finish first in the West, with the team still hemorrhaging points any time Jokić leaves the floor? This year’s Nuggets have a whopping TWENTY-FIVE-POINT differential between having Jokić on the court (plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions) and off it (minus-13.6 points).No amount of staggering or tinkering has seemed able to fix this, although the Nuggets’ recent stretch of seven wins in eight games has seen more stability from the second group. If they finish first in the West with the team going instantly into tire-fire mode anytime Jokić leaves the floor, how could he not be the MVP?There’s still more than half a season to play and torrents of water left to go under the bridge. Injuries will inevitably scratch a few names from the race. Slumps may do so as well; the Nuggets are hardly ironclad with their half-game lead atop the West, especially given that they rank only 11th in net margin of victory and 25th in defense. (Jokić, for all his positives, is not exactly an imposing rim protector; he has good hands and positions himself well, but to date, his greatest defensive accomplishment has been mastering the kick-ball violation.) And maybe Durant renders all this discussion irrelevant by averaging 35 a game during a 20-game win streak or something.But the Nuggets’ unexpected appearance at the top of the standings, despite still trying to incorporate Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. through an uneven first half of the season, makes for some interesting conversation for the second half.The presumption heading into the season was that Joker fatigue would take over the MVP race, and voters would shift toward rewarding a player whose team was at or near the top of the standings.But what if that player turns out to be Nikola Jokić?
I wrote about this dilemma a year ago, when three players had bonkers campaigns that would have made them runaway winners in any normal year. Instead, Nikola Jokić narrowly won a second straight MVP award over Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Granted, we’re not even halfway through the 2022-23 season yet, but this year’s MVP traffic only seems worse. To wit:
Boston’s Jayson Tatum has been the best player on the league’s best team, automatically bestowing MVP equity. And this isn’t on the same level as the “You have to consider Devin Booker because the Suns won 64 games” vibe of a year ago. Tatum legitimately has a case for being the best player this time around, as a two-way menace averaging 30.9 points per game for the league’s best offense. He punctuated his candidacy with a 41-points-on 22-shots tour de force against mighty Milwaukee on Christmas.Kevin Durant has spent the past month reminding everyone how amazing he is. Durant is averaging 29.3 points on 68 percent true shooting since the beginning of November, and his defense has been on par, if not even better than his offense. The Nets have won nine straight to pass Cleveland and Philly in the standings and are breathing down the necks of Boston and Milwaukee for the top spot. At age 34, Durant has also played in 33 of Brooklyn’s 34 games and is third in the NBA in minutes.Luka Dončić is an offense unto himself for a short-handed Dallas team, one that is ninth in the NBA in offensive efficiency despite having virtually no shot-creation anywhere else on the roster. On top of his ever-widening array of tricks, feints and pivots in the basket area, Dončić has massively increased his free-throw rate in his fifth pro season while shooting a scalding 58.1 percent inside the arc. He’s third in the league in PER, second in scoring and second in BPM despite the near-constant attention from defenses.Giannis? No, he didn’t go anywhere. The Bucks superstar is fourth in scoring, leads the league in free-throw attempts and remains a monstrous presence for the league’s fifth-ranked defense despite a dip in his PER to “just” 28.1 so far.Embiid is still here too. He got off to a slow start, but quickly made up for lost time, to the point that he now leads the league in scoring. A lack of durability could again work against him – he has already missed eight games – but at his current rate, it might not matter. Embiid’s December splits are truly ridiculous: 35.9 points, 50 percent from 3, 86.4 percent from the line, 65.8 percent true shooting, more assists than turnovers and eight straight wins for the Sixers. He’s also played every game since Nov. 28.All of this would make for an amazing five-way MVP race! How we do choose?
Except for one inconvenient fact … the Joker.
The two-time reigning MVP is still here, clowning fools in slow motion with no-look passes, impossibly soft running floaters and all the other random cool stuff he does that seems impossible for a huge ground-bound guy until he does it.
Here, have a Smitty from your opponent’s giant center:
That’s from Nikola Jokić’s 41-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist triple-double against Phoenix on Christmas night, which was notable mostly for how unremarkable it seemed. He was just kind of having a regular game for him and ended up compiling these stats. At 24.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game, Jokić has an outside shot at averaging a triple-double for the season.
The NBA hasn’t had an MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), and those of you suffering from Joker fatigue in the MVP vote will need to do some soul searching again this season. Jokić’s PER of 32.2 not only leads the league, but also nearly matches last season’s career high. His 12.4. BPM leads the league by a wide margin … and it’s also higher than his first MVP season.
His 68.5 percent true shooting? Well, it doesn’t lead the league, but it does for medium- to high-usage players (anyone over 20 percent) and it is easily the best mark of his career. Durant is choking on his dust back at 67.3. There’s a good reason for this: Jokić has cut back sharply on taking 3s after hitting 33.7 percent a year ago, flinging them barely half as often as last year to instead move to his comfort zone from midrange. (Fun stat: Jokić is shooting 61 percent this season on midrange shots, according to Cleaning the Glass. What?!?!)
His 45.7 percent assist percentage? No, that doesn’t quite lead the league. Dončić and Indiana’s Tyrese Hailburton are still slightly ahead of him. But, did I mention Jokić is a center? His rate is nearly twice that of any other five (Embiid is next at 24.4), and yes, is a career high for a player who already was cemented as the best passing big man of all time before the season tipped off.
All of this would be easy to write off were it not for one other inconvenient fact: Jokić’s team is also in first place in the West at 21-11, a half game ahead of second-place New Orleans.
The biggest argument against the Joker the past two years – and the biggest reason voter fatigue was likely to get in the way of a three-peat – was that the Nuggets were good, but not among the league’s elite, winning 47 and 48 games, respectively. Well, what now? What if they finish first in the West, with the team still hemorrhaging points any time Jokić leaves the floor? This year’s Nuggets have a whopping TWENTY-FIVE-POINT differential between having Jokić on the court (plus-11.3 points per 100 possessions) and off it (minus-13.6 points).
No amount of staggering or tinkering has seemed able to fix this, although the Nuggets’ recent stretch of seven wins in eight games has seen more stability from the second group. If they finish first in the West with the team going instantly into tire-fire mode anytime Jokić leaves the floor, how could he not be the MVP?
There’s still more than half a season to play and torrents of water left to go under the bridge. Injuries will inevitably scratch a few names from the race. Slumps may do so as well; the Nuggets are hardly ironclad with their half-game lead atop the West, especially given that they rank only 11th in net margin of victory and 25th in defense. (Jokić, for all his positives, is not exactly an imposing rim protector; he has good hands and positions himself well, but to date, his greatest defensive accomplishment has been mastering the kick-ball violation.) And maybe Durant renders all this discussion irrelevant by averaging 35 a game during a 20-game win streak or something.
But the Nuggets’ unexpected appearance at the top of the standings, despite still trying to incorporate Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. through an uneven first half of the season, makes for some interesting conversation for the second half.
The presumption heading into the season was that Joker fatigue would take over the MVP race, and voters would shift toward rewarding a player whose team was at or near the top of the standings.
But what if that player turns out to be Nikola Jokić?
― k3vin k., Thursday, 29 December 2022 19:51 (two years ago)
they shouldnt have given it to him last year now they cant give it to him this year, his best season
― lag∞n, Thursday, 29 December 2022 19:54 (two years ago)
there's an understandable urge to vote for someone new, but as k3vin's article indicates, that vote's going to split badly among four or five other players and the joker might just win again based on that
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Thursday, 29 December 2022 20:14 (two years ago)
it's a long season
― “Cheeky cheeky!” she trills, nearly demolishing a roadside post (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 29 December 2022 20:20 (two years ago)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinking-basketball/id1428290303?i=1000591786808
enjoyed this deep dive into jokic, one mind blowing stat is that this year the nuggets have 11 fewer assists per 100 possessions with jokic on the bench, which I guess is the best of all time, other leaders on the list are like peak nash lebron curry etc seasons
― k3vin k., Monday, 2 January 2023 00:34 (two years ago)
I think there’s a reasonable chance that in terms of impact on wins and losses jokic is significantly better than his basic numbers indicate, might be even better than being a 2 time MVP might suggest, just my thoughts
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 3 January 2023 00:55 (two years ago)
Feel like you could say that for the handful of mvp level dudes in the league but I get your point.
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 3 January 2023 05:01 (two years ago)
thats why everyone wants the big dogs
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 January 2023 15:21 (two years ago)
theres also a thing where denvers roster just really doesnt work without him in there
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 January 2023 15:23 (two years ago)
Very random but I can't stop thinking about how the other night Nikola Jokic jumped to try to create space between him and Bam Adebayo. No fake pass from Jamal Murray or anything. Just jumped to try to trick Bam, then ran to the ball. Gonna call this the "Joker jump." pic.twitter.com/PJ2nttyCHm— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) January 4, 2023
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Wednesday, 4 January 2023 23:34 (two years ago)
ha got em
― lag∞n, Wednesday, 4 January 2023 23:55 (two years ago)
him and kornet should start a cheerleading school
― “Cheeky cheeky!” she trills, nearly demolishing a roadside post (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 5 January 2023 02:27 (two years ago)
Bruce Brown, last 2 seasons...31-for-57 (54.4%) from the right corner.12-for-59 (20.3%) from the left corner.https://t.co/ejDRStYnU9https://t.co/2YxCnuFdcJ— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) January 7, 2023
gonna use this as a nuggets thread
― k3vin k., Saturday, 7 January 2023 16:45 (two years ago)
faked me out in slomo while i was expecting something crazy
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS JOKIC pic.twitter.com/aWNRj59h51— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) January 10, 2023
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 02:22 (two years ago)
Love those kinda slow mo 360 dribble moves, luka does does a lot
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 02:43 (two years ago)
yeah good for husky boys who can give a lil bump at the end of the spin and get their shoulders by
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 02:49 (two years ago)
14-11-16-1-1 tonight. ON 5 SHOTS (5-5 fg, 1-1 3p, 3-3 ft)
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 04:45 (two years ago)
what on earth lol
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 05:15 (two years ago)
that’s truly silly it is making me laugh thinking about it
― Clay, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 05:52 (two years ago)
I missed 95% of the game due to a flight but it’s a sort of line Ive seen plenty of times from jokic (ok, the perfect shooting triple double is only something he’s done once). it’s a thing he does when he doesn’t respect the opponent in my viewing experience
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 06:27 (two years ago)
also does anyone know if anyone keeps stats on opening tips? jokic has to be bottom 10% at that, seems like I never see him win one lol
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 06:28 (two years ago)
alright maybe I’m way off base because according to “degendata.com” the nuggets win 70% of their tips?
https://www.degendata.com/games/20230109
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 06:35 (two years ago)
Nuggs vibe check
“This is the best locker room I have been a part of.”-Bruce Brown on the Nuggets roster. He said they spend off nights together, play Call of Duty and other stuff.— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) January 10, 2023
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 06:47 (two years ago)
Nugs vibes seem good but let’s not forget that Bruce Brown’s previous NBA locker room experiences are the Pistons and Nets
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 13:53 (two years ago)
haha yes
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 15:50 (two years ago)
true lol
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 17:22 (two years ago)
wow this locker room is great theres no kyrie or james harden in it
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 18:15 (two years ago)
i now realize that was a bad post i apologize
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:25 (two years ago)
lol it does seem like the vibes are good tho
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:28 (two years ago)
I think having a chill guy like jokic who is also a world-beater leading the team is a formula for good vibes. his teammates legit revere him
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:29 (two years ago)
its true saw a bones interview where he seemed legit amazed at jokers humility, like it was something he hadnt even considered possible
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:31 (two years ago)
yeah I watch a lot of local segments they show on the league pass streams and it’s a borderline cult
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:46 (two years ago)
you are in a cult kev seek help
― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:46 (two years ago)
I seek help from jokic only he will save me
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 10 January 2023 19:49 (two years ago)
lmao
― lag∞n, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 20:40 (two years ago)
joks bruv
― “Cheeky cheeky!” she trills, nearly demolishing a roadside post (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 10 January 2023 20:43 (two years ago)
two biyombo pick and roll finishes to start out, nice
― k3vin k., Thursday, 12 January 2023 03:15 (two years ago)
the torrey craig redemption show part 2
― k3vin k., Thursday, 12 January 2023 03:21 (two years ago)
The best 1:42 you will spend today 😂 pic.twitter.com/NcTSjiSin0— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 14, 2023
― k3vin k., Saturday, 14 January 2023 22:01 (two years ago)
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe are such Nikola Jokic fans/supporters/believers.They can’t help themselves when talking about Nikola, they are like little kids on Christmas morning when they talk Jokic.Love it. @Adam_Mares @HarrisonWind @DLineCo @BrendanVogt #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/jqZxs5mn5M— JB Denver Sports (@JB_DenverSports) January 14, 2023
― k3vin k., Saturday, 14 January 2023 22:58 (two years ago)
No cap like I am wearing no hat
― “Cheeky cheeky!” she trills, nearly demolishing a roadside post (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 15 January 2023 05:58 (two years ago)
8-6-5-1 in 10 mins of the first quarter
― k3vin k., Monday, 16 January 2023 01:43 (two years ago)
JOKIC. BANGARANG!https://t.co/UuwxYJmnXx pic.twitter.com/qM43q7xXBd— Wobkola Jokić (@WorldWideWob) January 16, 2023
big shot big honey
― k3vin k., Monday, 16 January 2023 03:37 (two years ago)
he's somehow so chill
― symsymsym, Monday, 16 January 2023 05:23 (two years ago)
just don’t dunk on him
Nikola said he told Bol after the game: "If you dunk one more time on me, I'm gonna F him (up)."— Mike Singer (@msinger) January 16, 2023
― k3vin k., Monday, 16 January 2023 05:28 (two years ago)
Great pass, comical shot pic.twitter.com/2jQntQmEVa— Taco Trey Kerby (@treykerby) January 18, 2023
― four square ups... no punches thrown (Spottie), Wednesday, 18 January 2023 17:00 (two years ago)
lowe:
With the Orlando Magic, Gordon was miscast as a wing. Orlando was overstocked with bigs. Gordon had ambitions of LeBron James-style ball dominance. Over several roster mutations, none of it worked. Across the league -- even within Orlando -- insiders wondered: Why couldn't Gordon access his inner Draymond Green? He could be the superstar role player every good team needs!How wonderful when experience and luck put someone in the right place to fulfill their destiny at the moment they are ready to accept it. Gordon is the perfect support player for Nikola Jokic, and he's enjoying a career season: 16.5 points, 7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 59% shooting -- 37.6% on 3s, and 65% on 2s.As a leaper with size and anticipation, Gordon is an ideal target for Jokic -- on cuts, and leaking out in transition. But Gordon is doing so much more than dining on Jokic's passing genius.He's been vicious as a post-up scorer, and defenses are starting to send help -- even when Gordon doesn't have a size mismatch. Denver's trusting Gordon to make the right plays:He still gets to run some pick-and-roll, and has great chemistry with Jokic. The Nuggets have averaged 1.33 points when Gordon shoots out of the pick-and-roll or dishes to a teammate who fires -- No. 1 (!) among almost 200 ball handlers who have run at least 75 such plays, per Second Spectrum.Gordon's supplementary passing has been a big boost. He's heaving accurate outlets, leading fast breaks, and pinging smart extra passes around the perimeter. The Nuggets have sets for Gordon to facilitate from the elbows. What are you supposed to do here -- with Gordon holding the ball at the right elbow, Jokic setting a down screen for Bruce Brown at the left elbow, and ace shooters in each corner?On defense, Gordon can guard all five positions. His pinpoint rotations and shot-blocking are essential in Denver's demanding scheme.Gordon has a real All-Star case.
How wonderful when experience and luck put someone in the right place to fulfill their destiny at the moment they are ready to accept it. Gordon is the perfect support player for Nikola Jokic, and he's enjoying a career season: 16.5 points, 7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 59% shooting -- 37.6% on 3s, and 65% on 2s.
As a leaper with size and anticipation, Gordon is an ideal target for Jokic -- on cuts, and leaking out in transition. But Gordon is doing so much more than dining on Jokic's passing genius.
He's been vicious as a post-up scorer, and defenses are starting to send help -- even when Gordon doesn't have a size mismatch. Denver's trusting Gordon to make the right plays:
He still gets to run some pick-and-roll, and has great chemistry with Jokic. The Nuggets have averaged 1.33 points when Gordon shoots out of the pick-and-roll or dishes to a teammate who fires -- No. 1 (!) among almost 200 ball handlers who have run at least 75 such plays, per Second Spectrum.
Gordon's supplementary passing has been a big boost. He's heaving accurate outlets, leading fast breaks, and pinging smart extra passes around the perimeter. The Nuggets have sets for Gordon to facilitate from the elbows. What are you supposed to do here -- with Gordon holding the ball at the right elbow, Jokic setting a down screen for Bruce Brown at the left elbow, and ace shooters in each corner?
On defense, Gordon can guard all five positions. His pinpoint rotations and shot-blocking are essential in Denver's demanding scheme.
Gordon has a real All-Star case.
― k3vin k., Friday, 20 January 2023 15:41 (two years ago)
jamal is doing his best jokic impression: has 12-9-9-2 3 mins into the 3rd quarter. would be his first career triple double
― k3vin k., Saturday, 21 January 2023 03:29 (two years ago)
I understand why they limited AG’s minutes in game 7 because he was limping up and down the court (despite playing pretty well), but I thought adelman played the bench too much. I get there is a balance you have to strike, but they blew lead after lead
― brony james (k3vin k.), Monday, 19 May 2025 04:56 (six months ago)
genuinely heroic effort from AG tonight
― brony james (k3vin k.), Monday, 19 May 2025 04:57 (six months ago)
yeah, fuck michael malone for saying shai “showed why he’s the MVP”. ripping the band-aid off
― brony james (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 21 May 2025 03:19 (six months ago)
have to say the reaction on twitter to that malone bit confirms my longstanding view of nuggets fans, the kinds of people who have been pining for years for reconciliation with carmelo, who couldn’t make it more clear he couldn’t care less about the franchise. a really down bad group of people who clearly have daddy issues
― brony james (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 21 May 2025 06:22 (six months ago)
like I have defintely had my issues with malone over the years, you can prob just search ILH about that, but the thing I did like about him was his pugnaciousness, the loyalty to his guys. obviously being fired is rough on anyone but to say something like that for a buck, after q everything he’s said all year, tells me all I need to know. george karl reigns supreme
― brony james (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 21 May 2025 06:31 (six months ago)
his valanciunas shit is driving me insane
― brony james (k3vin k.), Friday, 4 July 2025 02:55 (four months ago)
he's got a year left on his deal at $5m, panathinaikos offers €12m, he's like cool i will void my contract to leave america, seems smart
― petey, pablo & mary (m bison), Friday, 4 July 2025 03:00 (four months ago)
it’s ten million!
― brony james (k3vin k.), Friday, 4 July 2025 03:00 (four months ago)
sorry, yeah. still worth it.
― petey, pablo & mary (m bison), Friday, 4 July 2025 03:01 (four months ago)
I don’t see why the nuggets don’t just say they’re happy for him he wants to play somewhere else, but he’s under contract. doesnt the NBA have agreements with these leagues about this kind of thing?
― brony james (k3vin k.), Friday, 4 July 2025 03:25 (four months ago)
Seems like bad team management to try to force a player to play for you who's clearly decided it's better to jump ship to another country and play for a team in another league. Bad for the team vibes to have someone in the locker room who feels mistreated and unhappy about playing there.
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Friday, 4 July 2025 04:30 (four months ago)
he's just trying to get an extension from them right?
― call all destroyer, Friday, 4 July 2025 04:33 (four months ago)
in which case the play isn't to hold him to his contract and say "nuts to you", but give him the extension or else let him walk.
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Friday, 4 July 2025 04:36 (four months ago)
why would they want to do that
― brony james (k3vin k.), Friday, 4 July 2025 05:53 (four months ago)
shams
Denver has informed Jonas Valanciunas' reps that the franchise fully intends to have him honor his contract as the Nuggets view Valanciunas as a critical center addition to back up Nikola Jokic and play alongside him. Greek team Panathinaikos pursued Valanciunas in recent days.
reading between the lines, I take it that denver wasn’t able to get horford, in which case this is the right play. not enough quality bigs left for the kroenkes to do a 10 million dollar solid to a guy under contract
― brony james (k3vin k.), Sunday, 6 July 2025 22:18 (four months ago)
https://bsky.app/profile/mrbuckbucknba.bsky.social/post/3luxpwpcigs2c
― lag∞n, Sunday, 27 July 2025 22:28 (three months ago)
would like to see the nugs adopt jockey helmets en masse as their champagne celebration protective head gear next time they have occasion
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Sunday, 27 July 2025 22:37 (three months ago)
happy for my goat and his horse
― brony james (k3vin k.), Monday, 28 July 2025 02:30 (three months ago)
Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun has agreed to a five-year, $125 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tells ESPN.
right about where most of the whispering about this had been the past few months. was hoping they’d get a little more of a discount but I don’t completely hate it. will be interesting to see if there are any options or major incentives
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 18:33 (one month ago)
seems like a pretty good deal really
― Spottie, Monday, 20 October 2025 19:04 (one month ago)
yeah I’m happy with it. I’m also happy they decided not to extend watson, though that always seemed less likely
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 19:32 (one month ago)
I believe in CB and think that number will look really good in his late 20s. especially if the signs of improved shooting and playmaking are real
seems a lil high he could def out perform it but still
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 19:40 (one month ago)
Dyson Daniels 4-years/$100MJabari Smith Jr. 5-years/$122MChristian Braun 5-years/$125MKeegan Murray 5-years/$140M
seems like it's market value, his ceiling is not the highest among these guys but compared to smith or murray you are already getting more of what you're paying for, if he never takes another leap it won't be a disaster. plus he's already got the chemistry with joker. biggest takeaway afaict is that kangz FO is bad. hot take, i know
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Monday, 20 October 2025 20:40 (one month ago)
kings had to give murray that deal their fans have a special chant for his name
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 20:48 (one month ago)
i dont think i like the deals for any of those guys, daniels at least has an elite skill but youre kinda hoping these guys grade out as solid starters, whatre you gonna do i guess
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 20:53 (one month ago)
braun was already more than a solid starter last year. he had. 67% true shooting, led the league in fast break points, and is a plus defender. if he can continue being a plus three point shooter on a little bit higher volume I think it’ll look great. we’re talking about <15% of the cap
I actually think I like him the most out of those 4. offense is just so much more important than defense. jabari smith jr is young enough that he could surpass him tho
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 20:57 (one month ago)
braun had a great year for sure and hes def a really good defender and transition player, the halfcourt offense tho i think is pretty iffy sort of thing where he has to play perfectly within his role cause ultimately hes just not really a baller, which i think goes for the rest of those guys too, id rather invest in ballers
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 21:01 (one month ago)
he’s looked good in preseason, shot is looking confident and he’s shown more playmaking chops. I agree it’s an overpay if he just stays the same player he was last year, but I think there’s more to him
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 21:09 (one month ago)
funny thing with these deals and the idea of the nba as a market is no one else is giving these guys that much money simply because theyre not capable of doing it under the current salary cap, and on the rare occasion that a team has cap space theyre prob not looking to spend it on these type of guys who have little star potential
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 21:14 (one month ago)
that’s generally true but there may be a few more teams with cap space next year. the heat for example were reportedly holding cap space due to the possibility of getting giannis or (lol) jokic, which seems unlikely to happen. CB would actually be a nice fit there I think next to herro
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 21:17 (one month ago)
i think i have a bit of a hard time separating braun's value from the fact that he has one of the easiest roles in the league. the nuggets were clearly correct in deciding to move on from KCP to put braun in that role, but idk if denver needs to be paying any 3 and D guy $25 million over 5 years when the 3 part of that equation is almost entirely facilitated by another player
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Monday, 20 October 2025 21:55 (one month ago)
like if christian braun and keegan murray had switched teams after their rookie year i think keegan murray is prob still getting a $100m deal from denver. i'm not sure if christian braun is playing himself into that price range when divorced from the best passer of his generation
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Monday, 20 October 2025 21:58 (one month ago)
yeah he made one three a game last year, in the playoffs teams dared him to shoot and it didnt work out that well, i dont think you can call him a 3 and d guy at all really
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 22:00 (one month ago)
there is definitely that, and it’s always one of the hardest things about denver’s roster decisions. almost everyone plays better with jokic, which automatically puts them in a more-valuable-to-us-than-to-them situation.
at the end of the day though this is something like 12% of the cap next year (it’s escalating from what I’ve seen from bobby marks), and as the cap rises that percentage should not change much. I am personally much more worried about murray’s extension, another guy the nuggets found themselves caught in this situation about. if he never ascends to all-star level, that max is going to be damaging. braun has shown enough signs of growth that I am willing to be cautiously optimistic, although as I said I was hoping it would be more in the 22-23 million AAV range
but then you look at those other contracts and think, this is just what the market is
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 22:01 (one month ago)
there is definitely that
this was xp to jordan’s point about playing with jokic
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Monday, 20 October 2025 22:02 (one month ago)
keegan murray and jabari smith are interesting cases in that theyre supposed to be great shooters but so far a nice rookie season from murray notwithstanding theyre just not
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 22:04 (one month ago)
there isnt really a salary market in the nba theres only not wanting ruin the vibes by getting into an extended conflict with one of your guys
― lag∞n, Monday, 20 October 2025 22:05 (one month ago)
i think that’s mostly true yeah
the smith and murray contracts felt somewhat gobsmacking to me. i find it fascinating that the heat got jovic on 4/62 compared to what the rest of these guys got paid when you look at i.e. WS/48 last season
braun - .144jabari - .117jovic - .104daniels - .093murray - .082
my point isn’t about jovic exactly as much as it to say that it feels like the rest of these guys should be getting paid closer to his number than the other way around
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Monday, 20 October 2025 22:53 (one month ago)
denver coaches beat denver media 114-16. was expecting more from adam mares
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Tuesday, 21 October 2025 21:55 (one month ago)
haha mazzulla started a trend
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 21 October 2025 23:08 (one month ago)
the denver nuggets have beaten the hated timberwolves. I’m in denver for a couple of home games and watched this one at the DNVR bar and the mood was euphoric
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Tuesday, 28 October 2025 05:44 (three weeks ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B485Nz6l1mc
jokic's passing has somehow leveled up again this year. some of these are absurd
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Thursday, 6 November 2025 09:42 (two weeks ago)
one game tonight??
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Friday, 7 November 2025 00:49 (two weeks ago)
yeah but its between the teams everyone is dying to watch
― lag∞n, Friday, 7 November 2025 02:44 (two weeks ago)
lol I meant to post that in the main thread
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Friday, 7 November 2025 05:20 (two weeks ago)
no curry tonight vs the nugs :( maybe no jimmy either
― Spottie, Friday, 7 November 2025 15:40 (two weeks ago)
Brian Windhorst on Jokic-"He's the guy I would pay to see in the NBA." pic.twitter.com/qV215yGWIB— Jokicism🃏 (@jokicgoatic15) November 12, 2025
windy ball knower
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Thursday, 13 November 2025 00:54 (one week ago)
Braun out 4-6 weeks
― Spottie, Saturday, 15 November 2025 00:30 (six days ago)
sucks
― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Saturday, 15 November 2025 03:45 (six days ago)