2013-14 NBA Thread part 1

The Knicks will get their shit together once they get Chandler back. They won't be great by any stretch, but they should have enough to win 43-44 and finish ahead of Toronto. Brooklyn just looks like a total train wreck, and now they'll be without Pierce for a few weeks. J.J. Redick out for 6-8 as well with a broken hand. Big blow for the Clips.

 

At best Chandler is back in two weeks, and then he's got to get himself back in shape. I'm not sure there's time for the Knicks to win 40 more games. Though the Atlantic is so bad, maybe the Knicks only need to win 30 more to take the division.

 

Yeah, I didn't realize they were 3-13. Maybe 41-41 should be the goal, which should definitely be enough to sneak past the Raps. Nets are looking more and more like they made a colossal mistake in hiring Kidd.

 

Meh. More often than not, Wall will be better than that. Like last night, when he had 16 points and 13 assists. He still shoots like a dickhead, but he's got the Wizards to .500 for the first time since 2009, which is amazing when you think about it. They haven't even been 1-1 in that time. They always start off in the shitter.

 

So Jason Kidd moves Frank off the bench, pretty embarrassing that an assistant takes the fall for the bad start. I figure there is more to the story.

 

As the standings appear right now, there are only 3 teams in the West below .500, and only 2 teams in the East above. Talk about competitive imbalance. If that continues, you could have 50-win teams miss the playoffs in the West, while 35-win teams make it in the East. Not that it will matter in the East - they shouldn't even bother with a full playoff, just have the Heat and Pacers play their series to determine the champ.

 

Brad Stevens is working his boy wonder Butler magic, putting Boston in first place.*



*With an 8-12 record.

 

I applaud the Celtics for not surrendering to their innate talent level so far, but to be in first place in anything with an 8-12 record is a serious indictment of the competition level of your sport.

 

Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo last night became the first rookies in NBA history to record triple-doubles in the same game.

 

Oladipo last night -- 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

Carter-Williams last night -- 27 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201312030PHI.html

No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, full 2013-14 season -- 28 points, 34 rebounds, 4 assists

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bennean01.html

 

Which I believe would be an utter failure of plan if they end up squeezing into the playoffs and out of the lottery. So how does Ainge delicately communicate to Stevens that he might wanna, you know, ease up on all that good coaching for awhile?

 

On the same night their old college teams played, coincidentally.