Yeah when it comes to an offensive force, Stephen Curry takes a back seat to no one - stuck the dagger in w/that 3 -
but yes, both T. Davis and Neemias were effective off the bench (both double doubles) - certainly recall Dale Davis on those strong Pacers teams w/Antonio Davis, Rick Smits, Mark Jackson, of course Reggie….
Warriyz deserved to win - Great Ballgame, xcpt the outcome for C’s fans😮🏀 - in boxing, styles make fights - in basketball, Celtics-Warriyz represents highest-level hoops
🏀would not have thought that a LeBron triple double, & an AD double-double, at home, would’ve resulted in a L for Lakers
it wasn’t a fluke - same thing again last night (LeBron 25/10/9), Reaves (27) again strong off bench…..yet another L (at Chicago) - who didn’t have their top player, Zach Levine
Like you Rob I thought a healthy LAL would be a dangerous team - but instead it’s LAC - they’re W9 w/Westbrook’s minutes rapidly dwindling
…..surprising - but again - w/Al & Jayson out, we still bounced a good Sac team, so there’s no way of knowing -
let’s go Celts - it’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, but the kelly green always glows
Bulls are playing better as a team without Lavine - interesting to see what happens when he returns ...
🏒close out 2023 w/NJ Dec 30, at Det Dec 31 - it was a rugged trip - MN, Wnpg, very good teams
we had the L3 in Nov - now we take an L4 into Buff Wed - while no one is panicking, everyone knows we gotta be W1 going into the wknd🥅
A white Christmas it wasnt in LA - as always it was green - Celtics green this year - we played good out there, twice - we roll boys, great stuff
ups to coach Kerr, GSW is playing well w/the tweaks he made to his lineup going w/3 Gs & 2 Fs, & bringing Trayce, Andrew Wiggins & Chris Paul off the bench (also Saric) -
that was a great game ystrdy, they were step for step 48 minutes w/Denver - Podzmski is another big find - rob what happens when Draymond & Gary Payton II return
let’s go Celts - we’ve seen it on the sheet, a slump can hit anytime -
…another good year so fah, both surfaces - Gahdn🤙 happy holidays ABB sports fans
@stephen: What happens when Draymond returns? I fear his return. We have two young studs who can play power forward: Kuminga and Jackson-Davis. Payton will get minutes for sure he contributes in many ways. But please, please, please: Shop Draymond on the trade market. I've just flat out had enough of his BS. And yes, Podziemski is one HELL of a basketball player, really glad Kerr has the good sense to be starting him. Jackson-Davis is our other stud rookie. Just shocking that Jackson-Davis went at #57 in last year's draft! He got The Karl Malone Award for best power forward in the nation. Now figure THAT one out!
🥅🏒it’s crazy - out west, Cup-champ LVGK, 45 points, Canuck 44 -
then in East Conf, Broonz Rangiz round out the top 4 w/43 each - watta treat🏒🥅
it’s why this afternoon’s O6er has a little more
….hit em early, take their crowd out of it, somehow cut town w/the W,
….thereby hitting 50 pts by year’s end, leapfrogging past the 2 west teams, & getting to within a point of NY - Wnpg also right there, Jets sent us flying last week
no one is tired - just a ton riding on this game - a ton of fun NYE pucks… (thundering) But We Must Win! 😁hehe🤙HNY
🏀Yes, it looks like hard decisions are upcoming both for Clippers & Warriors - Daniel Theis has been stellar backing up IZ just as Trayce, Podzmski etc have for your guys -
now Mason Plumlee and Draymond Green are close to returning - Plumlee is a solid NBA C & would probly get Daniel’s minutes -
Green’s suspension would technically be up this week - it’s somewhere between “indefinite” and “11-13 games” - his last game was Dec 12 -
On The Floor, those new guys would only continue to get better w/an intact Dray/Klay/Curry nucleus -
minutes distribution would be an issue, someone would be shortchanged a la Theis in LA, but that’d play into Kerr’s wheelhouse - whatya think bro
we’re 2 up on Mil & MN - then it’s OKC (22-9) - we visit OKC tmrw - last time there was our worst game in years - Erasure Time Boys, that game still smells bad
Holmgren has proven out as a legit rookie 7 footer, like the 2 TX teens, Victor W & Lively II -
Holmgren & Shai have emerged-simpatico as a top tandem w/synergy instigating team-wide chemistry, etc & so on🏀
green(watta)team, lotta greatness there - Ever-Humble - it’s been the team MO literally from Doggie Julian on
Nikola Jovic is known throughout the league but at 6-10 the long & short of it is
no Jimmy no problem
its the same on the sheet down there - currently a points differential on ice, but both hoop teams are 20-14*
all 4, always in it, all winter, regahdless of surface - I hate em😉🏀🏒🤙
Jimmy is a great but injury-prone player, he’s already missed 11 of their 34 games, it’s the norm - he always shows up for the playoffs
am just hoping we don’t roll Sat at Indy (2nd of a back to back) - wondering who will make the trip after Friday’s Jazz visit
Nesmith, Nemhardt, Mahurin off the bench, Turner in the pivot & his backup, O. Tshiebwe, obviously Halliburton…..
Paciz’ve beaten Mil twice this week, are uninjured & always on the verge of going off
OKC is also very good & will be heard from - we played well also (xcpt Jayl), great game this time🏀 - let’s go Celts
*wait, Orl lost in 2 OT
They have their 3, we have our 5 & Penguins & Bruins fans are on the same page
Multiple Greats, One Banner
our 5 are well documented - but their 3
yep super Mario himself, face of the franchise Mario Lemieux, is in awe
sid the kid Crosby, 36, 19th year
evgeni malkin, 37, & kris letang, 36 - each their 18th year
arrived in Pittsburg as teens & never left - Broonz fans admire this - Penguins have been consistently good throughout
we’ve enjoyed all the games w/them over the years - heck you often had 5-7 future HOFers on the ice at any given time
now their 3 walk alongside Clemente & Stargell, the Immaculate Reception & Steel Curtain, & Mario of course - not to mention the Pittsburgh tough guy, all time wrestling champ Bruno Sammartino
but screw all that - they’re welcome visitors but that’s it🏒🥅 let’s go Broonz, we can’t let those geezers outplay us - they have b4, too often
Broonz, 5 greats, 1 banner ya
🥅🏒out west, Cup-champ LVGK, 45 points, Canuck 44 -
then in East Conf, Broonz Rangiz round out the top 4 w/43 each🏒🥅
it’s getting crowded - now it’s a 3 way deadlock, Broonz Rangiz Wnpg, 54 points - then Ca-knuckleheads & Colo 53 - brief cooloff, Cup-champ LV drops out
bomb tmrw nite - we visit Colo, VanCan vs NYR at MSG - these games are better than the playoffs - 6 periods of Top Hockey, visitors prevailing
Daniel Theis should definitely get minutes backing up Ivica Z - really hoping this two-time ex-Celt makes their rotation, he’s a real good player imo, minutes would reveal that, they did in Boston - he got buried on Indy’s bench
yep they’ve won 14 of 16 w/Theis key in their rotation off the bench -
now Plumlee is back & it’s an LA rodeo tonite - Lakiz slumping, Clippiz opposite - can’t see LAC disrupting its rotation the way it’s goin
same Draymond, he’s been reinstated, will apparently be back on the court this week sometime & not a minute too soon w/Payton & Paul re-injured - In Hoops, they need him on the floor
keep it green, one more to get - we like it in the heartland, home of the hoop Hoosiers w/hardwood heroes Hackman Hopper etc🤢🏀
Indy’ll be tougher tmrw
it’s getting crowded - now it’s a 3 way deadlock
yeah it is getting crowded - we’re gettin crowded out
power has shifted west - Wnpg 58 VanCan 57 Colo 55
then the east teams, Broonz 56 (we’re L2), NYR & Fla 54 - Fla is W8
we gotta keep Cup-champ LV slumping Thurs - ups to coach Cass, let’s go Broonz, it’s a deceptive L2, we’ve been good
Bulls are playing better as a team without Lavine - interesting to see what happens when he returns ...
they’re back to full strength on a W3 & have almost played their way back to .500 - da Bulls did indeed play well w/out Lavine
….now, emulating GSW they’re going with 3 Gs in their starting lineup w/Coby White
they meet tmrw nite - no Draymond yet -
all hoop fans root for Lonzo Ball’s return, he was dealt a bad hand
After that tough OT game, all we can do is rest up best as possible for the 2nd half of this upper-tier home-&-away back to back
have noticed that Sandro, my hero Mil 2022-23 reserve C, is getting intermittent PT w/Spurs (Sandro Mamukelashvili)
Mfiondu, our own 2022-23 reserve C, is playing in Greece - we needed to find him more minutes but practice players are so important too (Mfiondu Kabengele)
Neemias experiences this too but Kristaps & Al often sit so Neemias Queta is key for us (4 instance no Horford tonite in Mil) - he’d be in most teams’ rotations
…..unsure who is making the trip to Mil - Lillard I think will be back for them (unsure)
no Kristaps last night, also no Rudy or Mike Conley for MN, big key - They Are Good - yep they were George Mikan & the Lakers when last cranking like this
😁😁🏀
envision similar game tonite, high-scoring C’s win
They’re all up ahead - point is,
🏀BOSTON🏒
at the gym
at the rink tho, Van-ca-knux
they’re in our way, we relish their visit next month, & 13 years later, relish w/mustard the idea of a 2011 finals rematch
but forget that, they’re 62, Broonz 61, Wnpg 60, Colo 59
it’s Colo Thurs, Wnpg Mon - they beat us earlier this month
….Habs
they’re in Sat - the bleu blanc et rouge is as familiar here as the black & gold is en Mont Royal
but enough of the geezer ****, these next 3 are tough news - Brandon, our D, he’ll heal up quick, he’s a rock back there
Great ballgame tonite, came down to the last shot
I liked our plan of not doubling the big guy if we could possibly get away w/it - it was effective - but Jamal Murray was the difference tonite - very underrated G -
Nikola was his usual self - his 9 assists came in the 1st 3 qtrs - the guy is just an immense player - he is fast becoming in contention, Now, for gotA - Big Al & Kristaps worked their butts off against him
….forget the ‘1st home loss for Celtics’ angle, it was slamming hoops by 2 top teams
-
but no, it’s the big 3 down there, not the TX 2 - A. Sengun of Houston joins Victor W (San Antonio) & Lively II (Dallas) - Sengun (6-11, age 21) is the old man in this Texas trio - they’re up next (Hou, Dal)
watta team, Wattagame🏀 - Jays was a little off balance on the last shot or it woulda gone to OT
da Bulls did indeed play well w/out Lavine
….now, emulating GSW they’re going with 3 Gs in their starting lineup w/Coby White
it’s catching on, now Phx is employing a 3 guard approach inserting Grayson into the starting lineup w/Booker & Beal - & to very good effect
thankfully for other teams it won’t be intact frequently - Phx is probly the most injury-prone team in the league
when Devin Booker feels fit enough to play, he’s simply a beast - it’s just that it’s infrequent, intermittent - same Beal, KD - if they’re uninjured for any length of time Suns will catch up
-
given all that’s happened w/the injuries & the tragic loss of one of their coaches, unsure if GSW will stay w/3 guards -
Nikola Jokic mentioned the loss of this coach w/great respect after the game last nite in Boston - I believe fellow 6-10 Serb Nikola Jovic was also quoted about him
A. Sengun of Houston joins Victor W (San Antonio) & Lively II (Dallas) - Sengun (6-11, age 21) is the old man in this Texas trio - they’re up next (Hou, Dal)
its Alperen, he’s from Turkey & he’s a playah - plus he practices w/7-4 Serb, teammate Boban M., 35 - alperen could be the best of the trio
one readily sees the upside of this team (we are right now), & U know coach U will attain it
our own depth at C w/Luke Kornet & Neemias is key as we speak, also Brisset
let’s go Celts, Wattateam🏀, Huge Stoke At Midway Point Of Season - & This Game Too, We Wail 2nd Half Of Both
we played enough D to win & i41 love these old vets vs young turks matchups - Kristaps 32 points, Sengun a triple double🏀🏀🏀 - backup Luke Kornet……key
we take a different plan into Dallas tonite - we’ll win if we keep them under 100 - Big Al I think will handle Lively II -
they have another good C, Dwight Powell - keep mentioning Neemias, hoping/guessing he’ll get those backup minutes tonite - he’s below Luke on the depth chart
then our guys w/Luka, Kyrie, old friend Grant…
watta blast, I wanna be front row when AD plays Alperen - or the many awesome combinations nowadays of old farts vs hot s***s -
look up, it’s SA-Phila tonite - Horford & Kornet couldn’t contain Victor last Wed - but they aren’t Joel Embiid either
GS Warriors return to the floor tonite in a state of flux/transition, however their experienced core will loom large getting them thru it as their injured players gradually return - by the all star break they should have their full roster back
most imo would like to see them have a good 2nd half of season - if Kerr plays his cards right I think they will & he has I’d say a Pretty Good record of doing just that
🏀
but yes as LeBron & AD go, so go Lakiz - there’s no one else, Russell & Reaves aren’t enough, & envision GS overtaking them - they play Saturday
also Sat, Clippiz visit, yep Ivica is out of lineup, so old friend Daniel Theis has been a godsend for them (Plumlee has returned)
LAC had avoided injuries this year & it shows - same us - others haven’t so we’re always humble -
LA is very good, we’ll have our hands full but we’ll be like a Yankee Clipper in full sail
Their fans already know that Bucks won’t improve b/c they fired their coach - they’ll see that right off, tonite vs Cleve, esp Monday at Denver -
….Nikola-Giannis is always the hilite of those games anyway, but the point is, fired w/a 31-13 record? as a rookie coach??? It makes no sense, & is pro sports
it’s why Bucks fans are turning a deaf ear to the reasons being given for his firing - it’s horse****, they’re paying off 3 coaches now, wtf
….back to back & all we’ll spank Indy next week - LAC first, let’s go Celts
it’s 2 in a row, overlooked Nikola-Embiid today, then Nikola-Giannis Monday, el bombo
LAC is very good but I think we can exploit no Ivica, esp if we have both Kristaps & Horford (Kristaps unsure for tonight’s game) - Westbrook has really returned to form - will be good to see Daniel but not on the court🏀
No Kristaps, no Embiid - Jaylen, Jrue a combined 5-21 at the half - we’re gettin bounced in our own bldg - still time, still time
just now noticed, veteran Jae Crowder is back for Bucks, that will help Doc Rivers
-
🥅🏒holy **** - it’s scary what’s happening in Edmntn - W16???? - it just goes to show again the age-old cliche, any team can light it up at any given time -
“no team ever welcomed the AS break less than Oiliz, it’s the only thing that’ll cool em down” ….
Just imagine the bedlam if this occurs in playoffs - a clean sweep of playoffs en route to Stanley Cup….”
but instead it’s regular season, & historic streak & all, no publicity about it -
-
YA, cranked Philly bullies 1 end of Broad St to the otha - no-bettah way to go into AS break
now we take a breather, look forward to Vanc’s visit Feb 8 & have it circled - the two top teams
Canucka, who’da’thuka - heck W16 & all Edmntn is still 12 points behind em - next thing you know Vancouver legend Bryant “Big Country” Reeves will be suiting up for em
BROONZ, ya
Hate like hell going so overboard on this thread - but it was the gotA & an all-time great helping their teams to their top levels - this does not occur every day
hoops simply doesn’t get any better - tremendous 2-OT game w/2 victors - Russell shot better than Klay, otherwise an even team duel
🏀just bad - I love our record of course, no complaints -
but the fact is, w/no Kristaps, the good teams pressure us out to the perimeter - & if we don’t make those shots……don’t even bother looking up our FG %age last night
🏀double doubles across the board for the young centers of TX (Lively II, 19, Dallas, 13/9) - great win for Victor, 19, & SA last nite over top-dog MN, he looks like the real deal
🏀next for Warriyz, Phila Tues but mayb no Embiid as it’s a back to back for Sixers
….the ? persists, what happens when CP III & Payton return -
again, Kerr relishes the prospects - he was a guard on all those Jordan teams in Chicago, he knows what to do & will find minutes for all those guys, Moodie etc, who back up Curry/Klay
the parquet has been mopped clean - now Orl Mon, Indy Tues, they both play good against us - Halliburton still out for Paciz, our centers sitting out 1 each for rest😠
wattagreen, let’s go team,…..let’s go Celts
i41 love these old vets vs young turks matchups - I wanna be front row when AD plays Alperen - or the many awesome combinations nowadays of old farts vs hot s***s
yes, tonite in Hou, altho AD iffy after that rugged game Sat in SF, but hopefully that matchup, this era’s version of say veteran Wilt vs rookie Kareem, comes off
of course it’s 2nd tonite to Giannis-Nikola, this generation’s version of Chamberlain-Russell
🏀the floor still needs a little more mopping, it was that bad Sat - meant 2 say before, it’s NO tonite not Orl -
Opponent Immaterial - parquet will only be fully mopped w/2 wins, 2nite & 2mrw
they’re both real good, Zion expected to play, but this is home court fellas, we gotta play w/a chip on our shoulder, full roster both games
Lakers visit Thursday
bad outcome for Lions but at least Pistons salvaged part of the day for Det fans beating a good OKC team
now same thing w/cavs - huge setback for them, mobley & garland would basically be Jays/Jayl for us, or say, KAT & Anthony Edwards for MN
injuries & blown calls - 2 of the ‘uncontrollables’😮 - deflating injuries can hit at any time
they’re back, have caught fire & moved past Philly - Cavs are a Dangerous team, they maintained while those guys were out
Knicks
same exact thing - b4 you can say Bernard King they’re W8 & neck n neck with Cavs
nothing will be easy in our conference - there’s Phil, Mil, Indy….
only 2 games separate Mil, Phil, NYK & Cleveland - 3 play tonite incl brother vs brother Jacob Toppin & NY vs Obi Toppin & Indy
LA & Jazz are tied - we beat Lakers 2nite, Jazz beats Embiid-less Sixiz tonite, also see Cleve winning in Memphis
🏀We’re 37-11, Tops In The League
we don’t get loud & proud about it, that can come off as arrogant
but we’re still stoked to the nines, both surfaces, & congratulate Denver, they too dominate court & sheet out west
we welcome an old rival, LA, tonite, LeBron greeted w/applause - then game time - hoping both have full rosters
🏀GREEN🏀
when Devin Booker feels fit enough to play, he’s simply a beast - it’s just that it’s infrequent, intermittent - same Beal, KD - if they’re uninjured for any length of time Suns will catch up
yes they’ve had a string of injury-free games, have won 9 of 11 & caught back up
LeBron & AD ruled out for tonite unfortunately - no one thinks we just gotta show up to win it
LAC starting all 4 of their megastars is a mistake - from the getgo, I would’ve had Westbrook & Harden in off the bench - individually, all 4 are/have been front-line superstars - collectively, they have to give up the ball too much - they’re used to being go-to players - w/all 4 on the floor they become no-go players, chemistry unattainable, wins sporadic
James Harden backed up Russell Westbrook in OKC
now Westbrook is backing up Harden in LAC, Clippiz’ve gone 25-5 since Dec 1, & just one game separates the top 4 west teams - Zubac & Plumlee are back - Daniel drew his 1st DNP-CD last night
green game last night - hopefully Marcus doesn’t go the way of the forgotten Gordon Hayward & toil in anonymity down there - that same pattern is developing
we love Jrue Holiday, & miss Marcus Smart -
clutch win for Jazz over Mil, these critical midseason wins pay back later on
as always a great roster in Utah w/season records that don’t match up - it literally goes back decades like that & makes them fun to follow
lets go Celts
Absolutely bro - Zion is another athlete who when healthy & able to play, is as key to NO as AD is to LA - ate the new kid’s lunch for 36 points tonight over a good OKC team - Zion reminds me a lot of how Chas. Barkley played - when uninjured, he’s a top PF
yep, several teams, including Zion & Pelicans, have had a long stretch of injury-free games
wattan outcome - a rare 4-way tie in west conf
NO plays LAC tonite, big game - again, 2 teams, also Phoenix, MN, others, who’ve had intact rosters for the past month or so & are really going - Phx, Sac & Pelicans are in their own 3-way battle
we got Atlanta 2nite - we’re still smarting from that Lakers loss last week, and are also smarting from Broonz game last nite
🏒well-rested, recharged, ready to rip
or so I thought🥅
no big, after all, ‘Wattateam’ lives here
🏀same Celts, our unis are green, let’s go boys
