NBA 2018/2019 thread

[I've seen black diamonds!]

A career-season ended too quickly.

But Nurkic was determined to not let his team’s season end prematurely too.

No, it was not do-or-die for the Blazers on Tuesday night as Portland held a 3-1 lead in the series over the Thunder, but for Nurk he was eager for his teammates to take care of business at home.

That’s why the big fella drove himself to Moda Center during the third quarter to show up for his team when they needed him the most.

“It meant a lot. I had seen him earlier today; he was at the practice facility. He was getting a lift in and some rehab. I was like, 'when you gonna come to a game?’ He was like, ‘I’m not ready yet,’ so, when I looked and saw him I was like, man it must’ve looked bad on TV for him to leave his house in the middle of third quarter and drive all the way out here,” CJ McCollum joked postgame.

With 3:28 remaining in the game, Nurkic made an appearance on the Trail Blazers bench.

Damian Lillard had been having a phenomenal game, with a franchise record 32 points in the first half, yet the Blazers trailed 113-105 when the Bosnian Beast showed up.

The jumbotron was quick to show Nurk’s presence on the bench.

Moda Center erupted.

bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.

^^^^^^ So you're saying the Warriors should be more like the Blazers? For fuck sake. You're combining some feel good, BS "human interest" story with some inane machismo. It doesn't fit.

Also Durant is better than any Blazers player ever, except maybe Bill Walton whose career was derailed by injury. Did Walton stay on the bench after he got hurt? Is that really what matters?

Should Paul George have stayed on the bench after his leg exploded? What about Joe Theisman?

Imagine this:

Reporter: Do you think Gronkowski should have stayed on the bench to provide inspiration to the team after injuring his [insert body part here]?

Belichick:



If you're looking for "inspiration," instead of watching the NBA finals, you might enjoy highlights of Bob Costas recounting the emotions surrounding his favorite Olympic moments.

[alias_rice]

A career-season ended too quickly.

But Nurkic was determined to not let his team’s season end prematurely too.

No, it was not do-or-die for the Blazers on Tuesday night as Portland held a 3-1 lead in the series over the Thunder, but for Nurk he was eager for his teammates to take care of business at home.

That’s why the big fella drove himself to Moda Center during the third quarter to show up for his team when they needed him the most.

“It meant a lot. I had seen him earlier today; he was at the practice facility. He was getting a lift in and some rehab. I was like, 'when you gonna come to a game?’ He was like, ‘I’m not ready yet,’ so, when I looked and saw him I was like, man it must’ve looked bad on TV for him to leave his house in the middle of third quarter and drive all the way out here,” CJ McCollum joked postgame.

With 3:28 remaining in the game, Nurkic made an appearance on the Trail Blazers bench.

Damian Lillard had been having a phenomenal game, with a franchise record 32 points in the first half, yet the Blazers trailed 113-105 when the Bosnian Beast showed up.

The jumbotron was quick to show Nurk’s presence on the bench.

Moda Center erupted.


“I was in pain watching the game,” Nurkic joked with Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd on the NBC Sports broadcast after the game. “By the end of the third quarter, I was like f*** it, excuse my French, I’m gonna go out there and show up and I knew if I showed up, we were going to win this game. I had zero doubt.”

Nurkic was right.

“Obviously I love this crowd and this city… I knew if I showed up, I was gonna make a difference,” Nurkic continued.

But the question on the Blazers’ minds was -- how did Nurk’s stats finish up?

“I would love to see what his plus/minus was tonight,” Lillard said with a smile.

Blazers head coach Terry Stotts also wanted to figure out what Nurkic’s plus/minus was for the final three minutes of play.

“We were down eight… So, plus 11… So, his plus/minus was really good. Honestly, you guys know it, you felt it in the building when they showed him on the big screen and the fact that he showed up, no one knew he was going to show up, honestly I think we fed off of that. I think there was a little good karma when he did show up,” Stotts said.

Enes Kanter, who played through a separated shoulder, summed up Nurk being on the bench by simply saying, “he’s our inspiration.”

Nurkic had said during the regular season after the Blazers were swept by OKC, that he wished he would get to see the Thunder in the playoffs.

Tuesday night he got his wish in person and the Blazers knew they had to win this game for him, and for themselves, to not extend the series.

“When I seen him, I was like we really got to come together and get this done so we don’t have to go back to Oklahoma,” McCollum said.

“I think they put a camera on him and the crowd went crazy. I heard it. So, he gave us a nice punch,” Lillard said.

The Bosnian Beast brought just enough “punch” to help his team get over the hump.

Lillard brought the knockout with his game winning three-pointer.

Wow, what a heartless player. Only showing up for the last few minutes is inexcusable. Where was he when the game started is what I want to know. A true champ would have been there before tipoff.

[wyeaster]

Media bullshit for clueless fans like yourself which is where the KD "controversy" started. Player would get roasted for saying he didn't feel or need the extra motivation. I guess the Blazers needed a few more injured players to motivate them against the Warriors.

uh huh. i'm sure lillard and mccollum and the rest were just talking out their asses cuz that's what they usually do.

[mcski]

Media bullshit for clueless fans like yourself which is where the KD "controversy" started. Player would get roasted for saying he didn't feel or need the extra motivation. I guess the Blazers needed a few more injured players to motivate them against the Warriors.

What do you mean? Players and definitely coaches frequently say professional players can and should have all the self motivation they should ever need. That would seem the more "policial" answer than what you're suggesting.

[MultiVerse]

Holy shit, the armchair doctoring in this thread is fucking ridiculous. If you've ever had a lower calf strain, then you know that the entire back of your leg hurts including right down to just above your achilles. They're connected after all.

lol. A person doesn't need to be a doctor to know that Durant's injury likely happened because he played before his calf/Achilles was fully healed. They are connected after all.

Speaking of ridiculous armchair doctoring:

I think it's obvious that this injury was the result of him not making full use of his calf muscle as an instinctive reflex when stepping down and then his achilles gave way as it had more pressure applied to it. Injuring some other part of your body while compensating for another injury is *extremely* common.

[wyeaster]

^^^^^^ So you're saying the Warriors should be more like the Blazers? For fuck sake. You're combining some feel good, BS "human interest" story with some inane machismo. It doesn't fit.

Also Durant is better than any Blazers player ever, except maybe Bill Walton whose career was derailed by injury. Did Walton stay on the bench after he got hurt? Is that really what matters?

Should Paul George have stayed on the bench after his leg exploded? What about Joe Theisman?

Imagine this:

Reporter: Do you think Gronkowski should have stayed on the bench to provide inspiration to the team after injuring his [insert body part here]?

Belichick:



If you're looking for "inspiration," instead of watching the NBA finals, you might enjoy highlights of Bob Costas recounting the emotions surrounding his favorite Olympic moments.

you are not very good at reading or logic

[mcski]

Look, I'm no KD fan boy but the dude had a torn Achilles. Are you pretty versed in the pain levels of torn, major ligaments? Ridiculous.

Ya, I am. His pain was not so severe that it prevented him from putting weight on his foot when he was leaving the arena. He wasn't rolling around on the floor in agony. He wasn't whisked off to the hospital. I've pulled my calf and had fucked up achilles for years and both pale in comparison to back pain. Hence my comparison to Bird. Loomey seemed in way more pain the entire game than KD did even when he went down. All I'm saying is leaving the arena was a weak move and a bad look, no matter how much his team and coach have his back. Especially when it could have very well been their last game together this season and maybe ever. Bad look that would have had a lot more hot takes of GS hadn't hung on. KD should have waited around and watched the game in the locker room like he has for past month.

[4matic]

What do you mean? Players and definitely coaches frequently say professional players can and should have all the self motivation they should ever need. That would seem the more "policial" answer than what you're suggesting.

At the Curry press conference last night the media kept prodding him for comments about what it means KD this and that. Motivation, blah blah. These guys know if they say the wrong thing they will get roasted by fans and media so why not just make up some feel good bullshit. Of course they care, of course they are concerned about their teammate, but does that matter a hill of beans to their personal motivation and desire to win? None.. When a player goes down you toughen up to win, not to "honor the fallen". That's such crap. Players sit on the bench when they are injured for the fans.

[4matic]

Ya, I am. His pain was not so severe that it prevent from putting weight on his foot when he was leaving the arena. I've pulled my calf and had fucked up achilles for years and both pale I comparison to back pain. Hence my comparison to Bird. Loomey seemed in way more pain the entire game than KD did when he went down. All I'm saying is leaving the arena was a weak move and a bad look, not matter how much his team and coach have his back. Especially when it could have very well been their last game this season. He should have waited around and watched the game in the locker room like he has for past month

You can perform with pain. You can't perform with a torn tendon in your leg.

[4matic]

This might make it convenient for Warriors to resign Durant. 1. They owe him. 2. He might be out for start of the season making him undesirable to other teams. Warriors can win enough without him till he’s healthy.


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[mcski]

At the Curry press conference last night the media kept prodding him for comments about what it means KD this and that. Motivation, blah blah. These guys know if they say the wrong thing they will get roasted by fans and media so why not just make up some feel good bullshit. Of course they care, of course they are concerned about their teammate, but does that matter a hill of beans to their personal motivation and desire to win? None.. When a player goes down you toughen up to win, not to "honor the fallen". That's such crap. Players sit on the bench when they are injured for the fans.

I agree with all that

[mcski]

You can perform with pain. You can't perform with a torn tendon in your leg.

Not my point at all

[4matic]

Saying he should have stayed at the game or come back on the floor reminds me of a story. I was coaching HS football and one of our players had an injury to his lower leg. He sat on the bench in a lot of pain the rest of the game. Turns out the artery to his lower leg was severed internally and there was risk of fatality. Why take the risk for some stupid misplaced valor?

[Danno]

The hot takes in this thread today have reached all time status.

[plugboots]

I think some of you guys are Delco, and got all Harry Potter on us and shape-shifted animagis-style into flies then flew into the locker room when all this injury discussion was going on.
Also:

[mcski]

Saying he should have stayed at the game or come back on the floor reminds me of a story. I was coaching HS football and one of our players had an injury to his lower leg. He sat on the bench in a lot of pain the rest of the game. Turns out the artery to his lower leg was severed internally and there was risk of fatality. Why take the risk for some stupid misplaced valor?

Also not my point. Just saying no reason for him to leave the building that's all. He went to the hotel not the hospital. If anything he was probably just mad at himself for playing because that certainly wasn't in his own financial best interest.

[4matic]

Also not my point. Just saying no reason for him to leave the building that's all. He went to the hotel not the hospital

If the medical staff recommended it that’s a perfectly good reason. We don’t know anything about that. Mgt. might have wanted him out ahead of the media.

[mcski]

FFS don't be absurd

[4matic]

FFS don't be absurd

Tell us how you know what transpired in that decision? You are guessing.

[TahoeJ]

lol. A person doesn't need to be a doctor to know that Durant's injury likely happened because he played before his calf/Achilles was fully healed. They are connected after all.

Speaking of ridiculous armchair doctoring:

Yeah that’s my well-reasoned theory vs the conspiracy theory nonsense you’re engaging in.

[TahoeJ]

Ya, I am. His pain was not so severe that it prevented him from putting weight on his foot when he was leaving the arena. He wasn't rolling around on the floor in agony. He wasn't whisked off to the hospital. I've pulled my calf and had fucked up achilles for years and both pale in comparison to back pain. Hence my comparison to Bird. Loomey seemed in way more pain the entire game than KD did even when he went down. All I'm saying is leaving the arena was a weak move and a bad look, no matter how much his team and coach have his back. Especially when it could have very well been their last game together this season and maybe ever. Bad look that would have had a lot more hot takes of GS hadn't hung on. KD should have waited around and watched the game in the locker room like he has for past month.

KD was leaving to catch a flight to NY to see a specialist. You’re being way overly critical.

[mcski]

KD was leaving to catch a flight to NY to see a specialist. You’re being way overly critical.

Really? Firstly, I've seen no reports he left early for a flt, but regardless of a flt or back to the hotel, an hour at the arena to acknowledge his teammates is not gonna make a difference in his treatment or recovery. Not buying it. It's just Bad form as they say. Not the end of the world and at least externally his teammates don't give af so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things but it was add to the perception of him as a drama queen imo

[4matic]

it was adding to the FAN perception of him as a drama queen imo

Fify. F that. Like you said, his teammates just want him to get healthy. They don’t need to see him.

[MultiVerse]

I think it's obvious that this injury was the result of him not making full use of his calf muscle as an instinctive reflex when stepping down and then his achilles gave way as it had more pressure applied to it. Injuring some other part of your body while compensating for another injury is *extremely* common.

Yeah that’s my well-reasoned theory vs the conspiracy theory nonsense you’re engaging in.

Wait, are you saying KD was fully healed but reflexively didn’t make “full use of his calf muscle” and that caused the injury? Or, are you saying that he was playing injured resulting in his apparent torn Achilles?

Those are two different things.

If you’re saying that the team knew Durant was not anywhere close to 100%. That the team knew Durant was in pain when pushing off on his right foot. That it’s ridiculous for team doctors to say "he couldn't get more hurt by coming back.” That Durant's injury happened because he played before his calf/Achilles was fully healed. That he should not have been cleared to play—then we are on the same page.

[TahoeJ]

No, you were going all conspiracy theory and saying he hurt his achilles in the first place and they just told everyone it was a calf injury. Your posts are right there, I don't need to bother quoting them. I think it's obvious he wasn't 100% - literally no one said that - and athletes play while not 100% more often than they don't.

KD is a grown ass man. If he wants to play, then fine, if he doesn't, then fine. I hate American blamer culture.

Kawhi Leonard hurt his ankle in the playoffs a couple of years ago... while playing with an injured ankle. (everyone brings up Zaza but skips over that he hurt it in the first, or really second, place in the same game on David Lee's foot on the bench of his own sideline). That shit happens. Whatever.